The Happily Ever After, Torn For good?
by Aishwarya Swan-Cullen
Summary: Bella, Edward and Nessie with Jacob are happy, post BD. But the wolves have accidentally created havoc with the love trees, and in this hullabaloo and confusion and anguish, the ultimate oppotunist - a new enemy - takes advantage of this estrangement.....
1. 1 My Piece of Forever

**Hey y'all out there. I'm kinda new to this and I'm madly crazy about Twilight series....completely. I wanna continue from breaking dawn b/c Steph had ended it well....room for imagination. Plz tell me if it stinks or is good. Reviews appreciated!! love , Aish!!  
**

1. My Piece of Forever

It was annoying to watch Jacob drool over my daughter like that. It was disturbing, watching him look at her with puppy dog eyes and croon whenever she said anything to him. It was remarkable how repelled I was to all this, but I couldn't DO anything because someday I just had to give my daughter to him, because he and her were supposed to be soulmates - my darling little Renesmee and my best friend, Jacob.

Edward wasn't as uncomfortable at this future of Renensmee's at all because he owed Jacob, he really did. No only did the gratitude fall upon him, and he realised that even if he tried to rip Jacob and Renesmee apart, both of them would probably kill themselves at the loss. Renesmee was as infatuated by Jacob as he was to her.

But the ages? Renesmee was already big enough to be a five year old, though only two weeks had passed since the arrival and departure of the Volturi, when they came to kill Renesmee because they thought she was an immortal child - a creation completely forbidden in our fantastical world, but instead they went back dejected, nearly attacking us, as Renesmee was proved not an immortal child. And Jacob was physicall 16, going on 17, but looked 25 due to his status as a werewolf ; no, a shape-shifter as clarified by Aro, one of the three brothers leading the Volturi.

The memory still brought shivers upon me.

My piece of forever was better than awesome. I had centuries, milleniums, lifetimes, to spend my love and life with Edward, my vampire husband, and my Renesmee. I also had my forever to spend time with Jacob, Seth, Quil and Embry the werewolves, and my other family, the vampire family - Esme, Carlisle, Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie and Alice. I even had time enough to see my parents live on, probably even produce more children.

Being Bella Swan...of wait, Cullen, was perfect.

That as only half the fun. The other half was that I had Edward.

Maybe I had subconsciously removed th shield from my mind, because Edward had just frozen from his piano playing and robotically turned to look at me, because he had read my mind. He smiled my favourite crooked smile and turned to look at me.

My breath went away as if I were still human. How could it not, assessing the soft yellow eyes fringed by voluminous black lashes? Or the pale skin that held together the eyes, a beautiful straight nose, a set of breathtakingly pink lips and prominent cheekbones? How could I not melt on the spot, as my unusually sharp eyes saw his brawny muscles or his messy but hot bronze hair?

Edward grinned and ran over to me at superhuman speed, never breaking eye contact. He picked me up, cradling me in his thick arms and whispered an old love poem, swinging me around and smiling the whole time. His skin was so warm and so soft that it sent a wave of electricity inside of me that completely undid me - I clutched at his neck and pushed myself closer. He moaned in anticipation and bent down, forcing his lips on mine, and I kissed him back as he held me tightly, both of us in our happy place.

I was completely out of this world but I was brought down when someone cleared their throat.

Damn Emmett.

When I turned around, Carlisle and Esme were talking louder than usual about the weather, smiling. Rose and Emmett were apart, shaking and staring at the TV, determinedly keeping a straight face; Emmett looked as if he was about to explode with the laughter pooling inside of him. Alice had her back to us, sprucing the vases another time, also shaking slightly And Jasper - Jasper was just trying to look unconcerned but something told me that he had been staring at us wide eyed just a few moments ago. As for Jacob, he wouldn't have noticed if aliens came to earth and zapped us all to smithereens the way he was snoring, Renesmee curled up beautifully beside her.

I sighed. Any moment spent with Edward was always interrupted, unless we were back at our cottage in the woods, and Renesmee was here or at Jacob's place.

"Would you like to go back to the cottage?" whispered Edward teasingly.

I sighed again."Not tonight Edward, not tonight." The truth was that I just wanted to be here for some time, because this place felt more home than my cotage not for the wrong reasons, but because my vampire instincts had mademe realize the preciousness of my family, and I wanted to at least be around them. I think I was being protective.

"Why?" moaned Edward.

I let him read my mind. _I want to look out for these guys...._

"They'll be safe Bella."

_It's my instincts, ever since the Volturi came, I'm scared for everyone._

He smiled. "We'll be fine."

_I know we will_, I thought.

This was how the time just passed by. It was probably six in the morning by the time Renesmee woke up, yawning, and Jacob's incessant snoring ceased. His first priority was Renesmee. She just sat up, raced around the room and said jubilantly, "Good Morning everyone!"

There were a few "Good morning, Nessie"s and a few noises of acknowledgement, and Renesmee looked a little put out with the small amount of attention she was getting.

Jacob, sensing this, said a roaring "Good Morning, Nessie!!", picked her up and threw her in the air. She laughed a mature peal of laughter, like bells, flipped in the air and landed on the floor in a graceful leap. She chased Jacob around at superhuman speed and laughed again.

She saw Edward and me standing together and grinned widely.

"Mommy! Daddy!" she smiled, running up to us and jumping into my arms.

"Did you have a great sleep, Nessie?" asked Edward. He was smiling.

Renesmee nodded and put her hand on my forehead, and I saw what she was thinking. Her dreams were vibrant and colorful, and she was dreaming about the day she first saw me, and understood that I was her mother. She was recalling, in her dreams, the difference between when I was human, and what I am now - a vampire.

Edward was fidgeting. He too read her mind and saw what I saw, and it made him a little uncomfortable just thinking about how I was before, and how I am now.

The morning just kept on passing slowly, and Seth, Embry and Quil went in and out, treating the house like Werewolf Headquarters, and I could see Rosalie despised it. I had no objections at all because even though werewolves were my mortal enemies, they were my human friends and had helped us a lot in the days that we were in danger because of Renesmee. Jacob had, at least, reclaimed his birthright as an Alpha, and formed a pack of his own, and I was glad to see that it wasn't only Leah, him and Seth anymore...it was Quil and Embry now as well.

It was afternoon, and Seth had just entered, treating himself to the leftovers from the meal Edward made for Jacob and Emby last night, when they had been running patrols making sure that Sam didn't choose to attack right now for any reason. Seth was one of the purest people we ever met, and he was too innocent to do anything wrong. He was nice, innocent and obedient, a calm, truthful person who always held no grudges, but learnt to accept and like anything that came his way. He had sleek black hair that was short, russet coloured skin and was well built, and naturally, he was tall, brawny, funny and most of all, he looked up to Jacob.

Seth just loved us. He was great friends with the Cullens since the year Victoria had come back for me, and when I was pregnent, Seth helped here and there, and sure left a mark on us all. He didn't bother knocking these days, and we never minded; Seth was as welcome here as anyone else in this household, and he just worshipped Edward's culinary skills when Edward was man enough to get away from me for a second or so and prepare food for guests.

As Seth just started eating, the last person I would have expected to come in through the doors, came behind him.

Leah Clearwater.


	2. 2 Hopes and Dreams

**Helloe again.....tarry not, i'M CONTINUING....!!!! So yeah, reviews appreciated....I'd like you to contradict anything you want, any stuff you wanted to have happened in the series but it didn't happen...im open to suggestions. Oh and for excerpts, extra stuff, which totally rocks, about twilight, check out the outtakes on steph's site : .com and the extras for new moon on the same site.**

2. Hopes....and Dreams

She had changed. My vampire eyes detected a little bit of growth - Leah was a runt in the werewolf pack, and I guess the tiny height spurt had made her more man. Her hair was shoulder length now, brown and curly, and naturally messy because she had to phase non-stop. She was wearing baggy shorts, and a half sleeve shirt with a zip down the front. Her feet were in normal flip flops, and she was looking more decrepit than ever.

Last time I had seen Leah, she had come with what was the pack, to see me - the day old vampire - act in the surprise visit from Charlie. Before that, she had come hours earlier and screamed at me for hurting Jacob's feelings so badly, when I was carrying Renesmee and Edward had just heard her thoughts. Underneath all, I could see that one reason she had left Sam's pack was because she liked him a lot, still. And the pain of him wishing she would disappear was so bad that she had gone over to Jacob's pack. And Jacob had told me one day that she was sad at the thought that maybe she couldn't imprint, even though she wanted to, so she could stop hurting over Sam. She didn't have any faith in herself when it came to this. She thought that she was a genetic dead end.

And now, seeing her friend Jacob all lovey-dovey over a half breed vampire human daughter of her mortal enemies had quite an effect on her, but the greater effect was caused because Jacob had actually imprinted. He too had thought that he was a genetic dead-end.

Leah just stood at the door, her nose wrinkled, and sighed as she waited for Seth to finish. There was no doubt that the imprinting thing had gotten to her. She looked so.....messed up that she had no real life on her face, just resolved expressions, and it was obvious that she needed someone. Maybe it was for the best that she had Jacob, and her brother Seth. I doubt she could talk to Sue, because Sue would just be confused. At that moment, I wanted to help her. I really did. A girl like that, a pretty, smart girl deserved a life, and not to waste it away like this. She needed support.

Seth just took his time eating the egg omelettes. When Jacob came downstairs with Renesmee, it was no doubt that he wanted to eat too. Even Renesmee looked at the omelettes like they were an assortment of her favourite foods-animal blood, human blood was what she would never resist - but she had started liking Italian, Moroccan, plain old American and even Mexican. All the while, Leah just stood there.

I deliberated. "Hey Leah." I wanted to help her.

She looked at me, nodded sourly and then nodded at Jacob. She resumed looking out the door.

"Nice to see...you here. What's up?" I hesitated.

Seth's mouth was crammed, but he wasn't chewing. His mouth hung open and he looked at Leah expectantly. He didn't want his sister's cranky attitude to ruin the mood.

She pursed her lips. "Nothing much. Just hanging out with the pack with nothing else to do."

She resumed staring out. Leah hated us a lot, and nothing could really change that. I felt sorry for her; the loenliness must be unbearable. She truly had no one. Yet.

I could see that Alice was paying attention.

She timidly offered," You could.....always come here you know. We're nicer people than the others of our kind, and I guess its prejudice again. If you could put the differences aside we could help you."

Leah flinched. "Its not prejudice....its just that my instinct is saying something else."

Alice whispered, "We're good Leah, we can help you with...problems."

"Sure, and I'd take your advice. Yeah, and I'm werewolf, you're a bloodsucker and that's such an empethatic situation." She snorted sarcastically.

We didn't know what to say.

I swallowed convincingly enough and murmured, "Leah, you just said it - you haven't any....people. We're here to help. I mean if Seth, Jacob, Embry and Quil can be here happily enough, I guess you can crash here too."

She just stared this way and then rolled her eyes to herself. Alice was looking as if she really wanted to help her socialize and possibly, fashion herself up. Alice coud have been itching to give Leah a makeover. A step at a time, I wanted to tell Alice. But she just looked at Leah uncomfortably.....

"Any...problem in particular?"

Leah flinched again.

"I heard about the.....love situation," Alice grimaced at the second last word.

Leah crippled, her face screwed up and she hunched, her legs shaky and the mean demeanor gone from her, replaced by helplessness and pain.

I knew that Alice meant no harm, but Leah had just gathered enough courage, and broken down again. I was unbearable for her to just stand there and think about imprinting, because her imprinting resolutions must have hurt her bad these past few days.

I ran to Leah before she could collapse on the ground. She didn't seem repelled by the coldness of my arms, but burrowed against my chest, she as doing her best not to cry, to break down and show any form of weakness.

"Get off me," she moaned helplessly.

I didn't let go. She tried to push me off.

"Go away."

I didn't let go now either.

She gave up. She was shaking with inner tears, and I was comforted by the fact that she didn't run away from me.

This was unlike Leah, and she realised it, so she staggered upright and tried to smile. We all laughed at her bleak attempt.

"I've still got a bad feeling about you guys." She chuckled. But after that she was all doom and gloom again.

Seth and Jacob had finished, and Renesmee too had had an omelette. It was nice to see Renesmee being a bit more....human. Leah had gone back to looking disturbed but she was already a little comfortable with being here, so she decided to stay here with Seth and Jacob.

Like the boring morning, the evening just passed by. Esme was on the sofa, sitting away from a faded red stain, knitting a few intricate scarves. Carlisle was sitting on the recliner, reading a new book about communism. He was still as a statue, but his eyes were drinking in all the words of the book, a frown on his forehead as if what he was reading was actually interesting. Rose and Alice were sticking pins attached to lace on a gown fitted around a dummy on the hemlines of it, working on a new creation, and Alice kept on altering the design on a sheet of A3 paper to favor gown was not my style at all, and I had just complimented it out of pure maners. Emmett was watching wrestling in TV and his voice boomed when he screamed praises like "Hell yeah, Undertaker, that move was worth my creed!" and "do the Pedigree Triple H! Yeah, swing the arms 'n crunch 'em on the way and SLAM it, baby!!". Jasper had acquired a slab of wood and was carivng out a decoration Alice wanted in the house on it, using the strength in his fingers. Renesmee, Jacob, Seth and Leah were playing Sharades, and Edward and I were watching them, helping our favorites by slipping in hints.

Leah was having real fun, it was shining on her face. Seth and Jacob were in one team, Leah and Renesmee were another, and they were all having fun. Leah didn't shrink away from Nessie when they high-fived each other. She didn't even flinch when the other team deliberately acted out movies like "Play It Again, Sam" or "I am Sam" or "Love You to Death". On the contrary, she laughed out loud and she actually fell on to Nesie the way she was laughing when Seth had to act out the "Fock" in "Meet The Fockers" and chose to relate it to a swear words...and to do the swear word, he had to relate it to "producing babies"...

Leah's happiness had caught our attention. Soon, we all joined in to play sharades, and it felt like a bonfire. We had fun together, playing till we were all running out of movies. Soon, Renesmee's eyes started to droop and she yawned seversl times. We had to stop then to allow Jacob, Seth, Leah and Renesmee to sleep.

I was dead surprised when Leah decided to sleep here of all places with Seth and Jacob. I smiled, and Edward grinned back. He never truly liked Leah, but he wanted to help her too, and we were actually happy that Renesmee had a lady friend now.

Leah, it turned out, was a sound sleeper, and she fell asleep as soon as her eyes closed. It was the same for Jacob and Seth, but they were determined to stay a little while longer.

"Thanks for.....Leah," Seth said in a small voice.

"Yeah," Jacob shifted to face Edward and me as we had been sitting wrapped up, watching the foursome sleep. "I've never seen Leah like this before. Seeing her now makes me realise how much she would have changed from the great Leah to the post-Sam-imprinting Leah. She would have...kinda died on the inside. Maddened by love. I've never hated Sam more that I hate him now. Seeing her bid for freedom, empty her memories of him is tearing us all apart. She...she's looking everyone full in the face, trying to imprint all she can, but no one's there."

Seth whined. "I've never imprinted, and I'd like to, but she's just...desperate. We are all she's got. And now there's you all, but its not like she can truly connect with you guys. She has no one then. Except for this random girl I saw her talking to, she can't connect with ANYONE anymore. She's sick over Sam. She's sick over thinking that she's a dead end. A bad egg. But I believe that it will work out for her. We all have soulmates - the werewolves."

Truly, Seth had one of the purest thoughts, minds and personalities ever.

Jacob suddenly spoke. "You know, new things just keep coming up. Vampires, then werewolves, then half breeds, then next thing you know, we'll get a human who is all three!" he barked.

I froze, thinking. He could be right, and I would have loved to voice my views, only that soft snores announced that Seth and Jacob had fallen asleep.

Only then did I notice that everyone else had gone out. It was Edward and me, and then these four sleepyheads.

It was so fast that I didn't even see it coming. Edward picked me up again, my legs dangling over one of his arms and my hands secured on the bak of his neck. He ran me to his bedroom and if I had a hearbeat, it would have quickened the way he was smiling secretly as he set me down on his bed - a prop. I looked into his eyes as he bent his head lower on setting me down, and again I was dazzled.

For a moment, I could see only him. I could see only Edward, my love, life, moral bending over me as if he was resisting the temptation to hold me against him tighter than anything. For a moment, I realised how painful it would be if I lost him.

I knew what it was like to lose Edward. I knew it because I had lost him once, shortly after my 18th birthday and he had left me in order to keep me safe from what he and his family were. I could fish out these sketchy emotions.....despair, loss, and everytime I thought about him, it was as if someone was stabbing my heart and I was being burned in the process. There was no life at all, no light, just a new moon that resembled me. I remembered the pain it had had on me.....numbness, loss of self, and it was so hard for me to live, so hard that I went mad internally....I couldn't keep myself standing long enough to avoid the darkness, the dead hearts that drew me under...wiping away all senses that kept me alive....

"What are you thinking?" moaned Edward, trying to read the secrets out of my communicable eyes.

I instantly smiled because it was funny watching my other half trying to read my mind. I giggled instantly and slid off the bed and jumped on to him, a purring sound escaping the back of my throat.

"I don't want you to read my mind, Edward." I smiled, hugging him tighter.

He sighed as if he was tired. "Mrs Cullen," he purred, "when will I ever get to read your mind permanently?"

"Never!" I trilled, and got off him.

He turned around and smiled. Again, I was breathless, not that I needed to breathe.

"Bella....." he crooned.

The electric spark ran up my spine.

"Bella......" he whispered again and looked long and hard into my eyes.

He knew that I knew what he was getting at, and he smiled again, because it was like the honeymoon at Esme's island all over again......


	3. 3 Human Discoveries

**I myself thought that this chapter was a weird one. I wanted to explore growth and all that in terms of vampires, i'm just too curious. If vampires COULD be more like humans, they could blend in properly, without attracting attention, no? So well, freaky chapter, but enjoy...it DOES get better, climax coming up soon!!!**

3. Human Discoveries

Though all of us were completely full, Edward, Renesmee, Jacob, Alice and I went to hunt. Seth and Leah were still sleeping, and the rest were too lazy to go hunt.

Truthfully, I was jealous beyond recognition as I watched the others hunt. I'd thought that by having a computer-like mind would have stored all the video files and gotten me the information on how to hunt THAT gracefully, but I was wrong. Edward and Alice captured their preys in movements as graceful as a professional ballet production. Their hair was never ruffled, no spot of blood on their attire and even Renesmee could capture her elks and bucks gracefully. Jacob was well practised at this, and he too moved sleekly and with swift movements, captured his dinner and ate some of it, letting Renesmee lap up the blood.

Edward was always keeping along a string of hints when I was hunting, to ease up some of my jealousy.

"Now jump so that your nails land on the deer, Bella."

I did it wrong....I put my entire hand down and blood came spurting out, coating me. My face puckered up because I felt like crying.

"It's ok Bella, we'll try again next time," Edward crooned hugging me and then releasing me so that I could lap up the blood.

After draining the buck, I raced home before anyone else had a chance to realise that I was gone. But I changed my mind halfway, and turned to where I could smell the honeysuckles surrounding our cottage.

I threw open the door and ran straight through our room and opened the gargantuan doors to the closet. Before Edward or anyone else had a chance to see me, I sniffed around to find what I needed.

Till now, I hadn't noticed that there was a shower in my closet.

Now that was just new. I felt like laughing, because there was no reason for vampires to bathe, because it wasn't as if we excreted sweat or had any odor. So that got me wondering....what would it be like if I took a shower now? How would that feel?

My curiosity got better of me and I unzipped the pink dress I was wearing, found a cottony blue towel that was so fluffy I could actually feel it tingle my skin. From the cosmetics drawer, I sifted through the hairbrushes, makeup products (?) perfumes, hair dryers, curlers, straightners, clips, rubber bands and all until I got to a corner dedicated to aloe vera soaps, various expensive shampoos, hair removal creams, mosturizers and facewashes, scrubs, showercaps, brushes, toothpaste and all. It would be so cool to at least try to brush my teeth like a normal person, take a shower like a normal person, do my hair like a normal person and at least, experience one thing from my human life again.

I smiled to myself and grabbed a few products. The Veet hair removal cream was definitely on my list, and I also took a pearly white soap studded with blue crystals which were meant to be clumps of exfoliating gel, the Garnier sleek shine shampoo along with the herbal hair conditioner, gentle facewash, Dove mosturizer, a perfume from Chanel, a loofah with Norsca shower gel, a shower cap and the electric hair dryer and curler. I set them down for a moment, completely took off my clothes and wrapped the blue towel around myself carefully. My feet automatically found a set of fluffy bathroom slippers from the shoe rack and feeling excited, I grabbed the products again and opened the bathroom door.

The bathroom was like a chamber, tiled with pretty marble and tinted bluey white. It shone where I looked, and the marble was done to perfection. There was a corner with a tall mirror and a basin lined with pretty carvings and statues. Another corner was dedicated to a wide square, the borders marked by translucent glass that resembled the inside of an ice cube....cracked and foggy in the middle layer. I could make out a silver shower thing protruding, studded with real diamonds and made of crystal. Directly opposite was a large jacuzzi, which could have served for a bathtub, a very LARGE bathtub. It was surrounded with pretty taps, each with a unique jewel atop. And last, on the last corner, there was a wooden bench, and I guessed that if you put curtains around it, it could've been a sauna.

I set my products on the side of the shower. I swung open its door, sat on the little ledge with my legs facing the shower and I breathed deeply.

I could smell pure water....with a fragrant perfume. Following this smell, I removed the towel, chucked it onto the bench and turned the shower on.

The water on me should have felt like nothing, but the weird thing was that I felt cool suddenly. The water was so cool, that it made me want to smile and giggle, feeling the cold water numb up any sense I had left. I didn't really feel the liquid water, but its vapor affected me more, and the water smelt nice in a way that didn't make me want to drink it, but feel it on my tongue, chilling my body. I turned the shower off, breathing evenly.

Slowly, I got the hair removal cream and with the spatula, I covered my legs with it. The cream was cold, but I didn't feel it a lot. It was just a little tingling and soft where it touched my leg. I could smell its fragrance - jasmine, wheatgerm and aloe vera....

For ten minutes, I just sat there, inhaling the fragrance....and each time I inhaled, a new smell came up. Soon, the ten minutes passing, I recognized the full ingredients that composed the beautiful smell of the cream - jasmine, wheatgerm, aloe vera, rose petals, orange, frangipanis from fresh rain, Arizonian creosote, pineapple, lily buds, almond oil, purple orchids, cinnamon, chocolate cake, cherry syrup, chick pea flour, cranberries, apples, lemon and a hint of egg.

Then, I grabbed the spatula again, and scraped the cream off my leg, and looked at the effect.

Remarkable. The place where I had scraped was cleaner than anything, and the rest of the leg covered in bristly black hair. I scraped again, on my other leg, and again, the hair went.

Wasn't my skin unpenetrable? How could the chemicals act on it? Or maybe they just acted on the hair, not entirely to the follicle but right above the skin.

Glad of this, I removed all the hair from my legs, stood up and turned the shower on again.

I let the cool water flatten by brown hair against my neck. I fetched the pink toothbrush and put some toothpaste on it, and started to brush my teeth.

It didn't feel like much, but my mouch was in itself starting to feel fresh, smelling a little of mint, and halfway through I realised that I couldn't feel the bristles......just hard plastic.

I took the brush out and roolled my eyes. Right. My venom had burnt the bristles.

I gave up on that and used the shampoo, soap conditioner and all.

I was feeling fresh, even though a little stupid.

After I was done, I grapped the towel and dried myself off, retied it onto myself, put on the bathroom slippers and walked out of the bathroom.

I sniffed once,not looking for denim or stretch cotton, but for satin. I don't know why, but my mood was for crazy.

I followed the silvery smell to the beginning of my part of the closet.

I opened the first bag, and a pink sight gown protruded.

Disgusted, I opened the next one and smiled.

In it was a short purple dress, sequined heavily and styled like a halter. It's hemline was frilly, and it was very satiny. It looked very good, and I kind of liked it, so I slipped into it.

It wasn't a tight dress, but a very roomy one, and as I looked into the mirror, I gasped.

My face was paler than ever, but it looked so....clean! There was no flaw on it, just skin of one tone that glowed even in the dark ness. My hands, neck and legs showed the same physique....so pearly and beautiful that I couldn't believe it. The dress contrasted heavily with my skin tone and it fitted around my shape with such ease that I wanted to cry at my beauty. My eyes were a light amber today and as I smiled, My teeth looked more white, and my smile looked inviting.

Slowly, I got the curler and curled my hair. It took a lot of time but I wasn't complaining. As I undid the curler each time and curled it around anther lock, the bounciness of the curl was so unique that I wanted to sing out loud. As each lock stayed curled around the instrument, I dried the lock and marvelled at my figure in the mirror.

When I was done, I felt more like Bella.....Cullen that Bella the vampire. I felt serene.

Actually, the shower had cleared me up. I could hear the birds chirp in the forest, and the tree leaves ruffle with the wind. I could hear laughter fading away, and growls responding to the voice.

And terribly close by, I could hear nothing. I couldn't hear much, except the nothing I was listening to was...solid. It was packed, I could hear the stillness and the silence. Breaths should have echoed from the nothing. And as I thought this, as I mulled over the silence, I heard a short breath.

Triumphed, I ran out the closet doors and laughed, scaring Edward.

That was the first.

"Well?" I asked Edward tentatively, pointing to my dress and my physique.

He looked at me startled, but when I smiled, his expression went blank and he stopped breathing, for a moment, and his eyes flicked up and down and around my figure, chewing over every little change I'd noticed. His lips parted and I heart a faint gasp, but otherwise, he was frozen, his eyes dazed but drinking in my stature. Then suddenly, his eyebrows turned up, the extreme side turned dow, and his lips were trembling, all puckered up as if he wanted to cry.

My face immediately fell. "Is it too much Edward? I knew it...the hair was too much, and the whole thing, see I was curious and I wanted to feel what it was like so-"

He held his hand up and slowly stepped towards me.

At first, he was struggling with words. And then, his face was still puckered up as if he wanted to cry, but with a shaky voice, a dazzle done, he whispered.....

"Bella.........Bella......I have never, ever, ever, seen you look so........_beautifu_l," he breathed, his lips curling around the last word.

I looked at his momentarily dazed eyes, and smiled.

Before, he dazzled me. Now I dazzled him.

He took another step closer, and held up a lock of mine, circling me, all the while mouthing the words "So beautiful...........so beautiful......"

Again, the electricity shot up my spine and I hugged him tightly.

His hug-in-respose was tighter. He held me like I was a lifeboat and he was a drowning human, like a scared child hugging his teddy bear, like we were on Mars and an alien was stealing me, but he was holding me tight to keep me with him.....

I let go and looked into his eyes. He should have had tears, as I studied his dazzled featured. He was staring at me like I was his other half, and the intensity was such that I grinned and giggled....because truthfully, I was his other half.

He took my hand and said, "Renesmee and Jacob went on ahead.....let's go back."

We raced towards the house.

As I ran, the dress allowed me to run long strides and held any amount of friction. Eward, noticing, chuckled, probably thanking Alice mentally.

As we entered the Cullen's mansion door, all heads turned my way and I heard eight sets of mouths pop open, and the snores of Seth and Leah. The seven vampires and Jacob were looking at me dumbstruck, all of them awed.


	4. 4 Visitor in The House!

**I'm so glad I got here! This chapter introduces another main character, and she is as much a mystery as.....the total number of vampires in the world! Its ok, she's already someone you know, a character not fully elaborated on in Breaking Dawn. I liked her base, so I'm building on it, and I hope she amuses you. You've all read about brave people so far- Charlie, Bella, Jacob, the vampires, even Mike and Jess theway they've accpeted their crushes'...well crush. So be in for surprise and I'm saying no more!!!! **

4. Visitor In the House

Alice recovered fastest, and she put on a triumphant expression as she looked at my attire and hair. I mouthed a thanks to her and she smiled a beautiful smile.

Esme was smiling too, curiously contemplating baths herself, probably. Carlisle's eyes were looking back and forth between me and Edward, and Edward was smiling as he looked at everyone's expressions, and read their thoughts. Jasper was rocking back and forth on his feet, smiling at Alice, probably marvelling her fashion sense, and then he looked at my hair and my exposed skin, grinning at the difference. Renesmee recovered next and smiled attractively.

"Mommy, you look so.....beautiful!!!!" she trilled.

"Haven't I always?" I teased sarcastically. She didn't reply but assessed my features jealously.

Jacob was looking at me with one eyebrow raised, and he and Renesmee exchanged a loaded look. Once upon a time, if I had come out like this, Jacob would have broken into pieces with the love he felt for me. Emmett, on his far left was just looking at my legs, dumbstruck, and I shuffled my feet. He recovered and looked embarassed, At any rate, he would have blushed if he weren't a vampire. He looked at me up and down now, unable to look away, and his mind must have been either blank or loaded, as communicated by his yellow eyes.

Rosalie didn't recover at all. She was staring for a full minute and I felt Edward shake with laughter beside me. She just stared, her eyes bugging out, at my dress, the way it fell down my frame and fringed my knees; the curliness of my hair and my fair, glowing skin that was so white and clean today and my faltering smile which had exposed my teeth in an attractive manner.

I turned to Edward for an explanation, and he was grinning so wide, that I was afraid he might burst in laughter. He, struggling heavily, whispered into my ear very softly, "She's jealous.....her vanity again."

Rosalie's expression melted and she snapped to Edward, a fierce expression on her face, distorting her features. She growled.

"Am not!"

And then, probably with inability to control herself, she ran away towards her garage. Edward laughed openly now.

"I might need to buy us all new cars the amount of jealousy she wants to release!" he chortled.

We all laughed, and continued laughing when a snarl echoed from the garage.

Seth and Leah both woke up, disturbed by the loud noise.

"What the hell is ha-" Seth started.

He broke off when he saw me, and he whispered a "Whoa" that caused Leah to smack her hand over his mouth. Both of them were assessing me.

That was just weird.

"Hey guys, all I did was experiment with what it was like to have a shower. You're looking at me as if 'm the sun and you all are prisoners of the darkness...." I said tentatively, embarassed.

Edward chuckled. "They sure are jealous of my position right now," he chortled.

I flinched on the inside, finding it weird that my family, for crying out loud, was attracted towards me. But I knew what he meant and laughed.

Renesmee danced up to me and hugged my leg, because that was as high as she could reach. She had grown again. Very little growth, but it worried be all the more.

But nothing could drown the audible rumble echoing off Seth and Leah's stomachs.

"Sorry," Seth murmured, sheepish.

Edward laughed ," Don't downplay it, you guys, I'll knock something up."  
As Edward disappeared into the kitchen, we all fell back to our normal routines. I walked to the sofa with Renesmee's hand in mine, and I sat down, her on my lap, and started playing with her hair, twirling it, braiding it and unravelling it. Her curls were so much better than mine, and she thought I was beautiful.

It was normal. I continued playing with Renesmee's hair, and Jacob watched me at it. Alice and Rosalie were Fashion designing again, and Emmett and Jasper were playing chess. Carlisle had gone back to the book and Esme was knitting.

But sure as anything, I could hear the noise of a motor nearby. The sound came closer and closer, and we all cocked our heads to the direction of the noise. Edward was paying no attention to the food as he looked at the door, brow furrowed, and tried to decipher the newcomer.

It didn't smell like werwolf blood, nor vampire. And either way, no one came to see us in vehicles with as noisy motors as this. Whenever Charlie came, it was in Sue's sleek black Optra. No one really came to our place to deliver milk, or groceries or newspapers, not even Carlisle's doctor friends. And most certainly, even if rarely, other people came, they were certainly not humans.

Because this person was. I could smell it. I mmediately, as Rosalie ascended the stairs, Esme flitted over to my side to help keep me under control, even though I'd practise and I wouldn't hurt anyone. Just a precaution.

The person who was coming, behind the shut door, had just put on the brakes nearby, and was skidding to a stop.....on a bike probably. I could smell the human scent, the thick blood pumping in his or her veins, and my surprise had the better of me. Edward threw off his apron, placed the bowls of food in front of Seth and Leah (who kinda disregarded it because of their curiosity) and ran to open the door before the person had a chance to knock.

He opened the door quickly, and looked outside.

A young girl was getting off a black motorcycle, a large paper-boy bag slung across her left shoulder, the straps ending in a bag on the right side of her waist. She stepped off with ease, and didn't even look up as she shuffled a few envelopes. She looked like a 15 - 16 year old.

As her body turned to face the door, she still looked down at the envelopes, shuffling them and shaking her head. Slowly, she stepped forward, still looking confusedly at the envelopes she shuffled. She was chewing on something, and a second later, a bubble burst from her mouth and popped again - bubblegum.

Her body was tall and slim, and she had fairly pale skin, smooth and very satin-like. She looked fairly normal, but attractive - her red hair was in elaborate curls, hanging over her shoulders and down the back till it reached her waist. She had a fringe of similar color- side sweep bangs, and the whole red effect in her hair was scattered with natural tints of sienna, a reddish brown marron color. Two silver hoops protruded from beneath her hair where her ears must have been, and she had a long, straight nose, slightly freckled, pink, vivid lips and the most dominating feature she had were her eyes - light cinnamon in color.


	5. 5 The Girl Knew

**It gets better!!!!! Rviews please, I need moral support peeps!!! Yeah, so here we find another mystery unravelling itself, ok not unravelling, but forming is I think the right words. I hope it's fine, I do this in my free time so I doubt its a work of art. Oh and if you can, read Kitimastr's own POV on Leah's Happily Ever After, it rocks like anything people!!!**

5. The Girl Knew....

I looked around to see everyone's reactions. Jasper stood with Esme, and they both had confused expressions. Carlisle's expression was fairly normal, and Emmett, Rosalie and Renesmee's of indifference. Alice's face was pinched up and agitated, and Seth and Leah were just chewing slowly, staring.

But Jacob was just staring at the girl open mouthed, an air of recognition on his startled face. He could have looked happy to see her, but his eyes were just whirring, surprise and recognition - that's it.

Edward's hand was still on the handle as he stood at a relaxed pose and waited for the girl to come to the doorstep and speak. He looked only too bored, probably yawning at the girl's thoughts.

The girl didn't pay any attention at all. She just shuffled the envelopes, walked forward at a snail's pace and blew bubbled from her gum. Finally she stood at the doorstep, but we watched as she still didn't look up.

"Hold on a sec, yeah?" she asked Edward blindly, now retrieving more envelopes from her bag. She had a medium toned voice, slightly posh-American accented and a little husky.

Five seconds later she sighed in relief. "There's the stupid culprit, I thought I'd lost it. Yeah, so this IS the Cullen res-"

She stopped because she had just looked up at Edward, who was a head taller than her. By the look in her eyes, she was dazed, because like me when I first met Edward, she was probably thinking how good he looked. She deserved more privacy, I thought myself. Edward shouldn't be poking around in her thoughts. Mischeivously, I extended my mental shield and draped it around her - practise had made me long since perfect. To my satisfaction, I saw Edward frown.

"Yes?" he asked her in his usual voice.

Should I have blamed the girl's heart for missing a beat?

"Er...hi. Is this the Cullen residence?" she asked timidly.

Seth wasn't paying attention, he just ate the food. No doubt that this was boring for him already.

"Sure," Edward confirmed.

"Is there a person called Bella....Cullen here? The guy who gave me this," she waved a messily put together envelope," told me that she usually hangs around here."

"Bella?" Edward asked. "Why sure, she's in."

"Yeah, so could you like give this to her?" She asked, unsure, business and uncertainty taking over her dazzled and timid expression.

Edward took the envelope, and I could see his frustration - he couldn't hear her thoughts because I was protecting them.....not that he knew.

"It's from Charlie Swan," she smiled, as if Edward couldn't read the name. "Police Executive."

I froze. Charlie sent me a ....letter?

"It's for you Bella," he turned around and told me. His eyes were confused too, and he threw the letter at me.

"Oh," added the red haired girl ," another person, Sue I think, told me if I could give it to some one called Seth and Leah," Seth and Leah looked up at once," she'd really appreciate it."The girl turned to go, and I to remove the shield from her body, but she didn't fully turn. She just jerked her shoulder when her eye caught on to something,

She struggled with words and looked from Edward to into the house.

"Blimey! Is this a house or a mansion palace?" she choked out, bamboozled.

Emmett laughed, and I smiled too. That was my first reaction as well.

Edward smiled. "No its just a house. Very old one too." His own personal joke, and he looked as if he wanted to add "like me".

"Old schmold," she gasped looking at the chandelier ," no offence, but y'all look damn rich, man. In a small town. Like this. Forks!"

We all laughed this time and her eyes looked at each one of us. At Emmett, she cringed a little. At Rosalie, her eyes widened, contemplating. At Alice's pained expression, her eager eyes faltered, as if she'd realised that she was intruding. At Seth and Leah, a smile. Two normal people, eating. At Jacob, her eyes stopped and became wide. She smiled.

Her smile was beautiful....like someone cracking ice. It had such an effect!

"I know you!!" she said to Jacob. "You're the guy who was in the park that day...with the borrowed or stolen or whichever Aston Martin Vanquish!!!" Her eyes melted at the thought.

"Oh yeah!" he breathed, remembering the day. " I thought you looked familiar. Oh and the Vanquish wasn't stolen," he grimaced ," it's his." He jerked his head towards Edward.

She looked increduously at Edward. "You owned that baby! Crikey man, how super can this get??? What year is it? Is it available anymore? Sure the Vantage's body does the trick but man! Vanquish!"

Edward just looked at her as if she was joking. She wasn't stupid, she took a hint and stepped back, realising her simple demonstration of bad manners.

"Sorry!" she whispered, and stepped back again.

Again, she was turning to go, but she stopped again. Not her fault this time.

Renesmee had just let out a cute giggle, about the girl's enthusiasm, and her laugh had made the girl turn. It had made us all turn, and I was focused on Renesmee's face too, but I looked at the girl again because her glare was like heat on my skin...and her expression freaked me out.

Her cinnamon eyes were fixed on Renesmee, wide with fear and recognition wide and blaring. She was taut, still, her eyes were growing bigger by the second...and the fear welled out of her like a water filled baloon being stabbed by a knife. The color drained from her face and she was...hyperventilating, I guess.

She took at least five fast steps closer, staring back and forth from Renesmee's face, mine and back. Her mouth moved like a goldfish out of water - a cliched expression- because she was struggling with words to convey her abrupt fear and surprise.

I cringed at the expression because it was as if someone had petrified her. She was bone white and gasping, her heart was missing beats altogether. She was just edging nearer, beads of sweat visible from her forehead and tremors from her hands.

Slowly, she raised an arm, balled into a fist, and then pointed at Renesmee, whispering.

"Who....who is she?"

She took a step froward, and she was inside the house already. My shield was larger than ever, forced onto her with heavy intensity.

I was not scared, but I was a little insecure. Best be truthful.

"My daughter....Renesmee." I answered her quickly, but she understood.

Renesmee's face wasn't smooth anymore. She was fearful too, and she was cringing into me, scared by the girl's expression.

"Mommy," she whined. "Mommy, what's wrong?"

For all I knew, the girl coud have had a heart attack.

Jasper sensing danger snarled, and she whipped fearfully at him. Her heart was throbbing furiously, and there was a blunt ache on the back of my throat. Her lips quivered, and a rattling noise came from her throat, as if she was choking on a sob.

"What?" Edward whimpered. "What is it?"

The girl stammered after two seconds, "her skin.........so pale...."

I doubted she was talking to us.

"Her voice...." the girl choked again," perfect.....like bells...."

I shook my head, confused. Should I pull away the shield to let Edward make sense? It seemed like a good idea......

I eased my shield back to me.

At the same moment, Edward gasped loudly and yelled ," It's not what you think!"

We looked at dward in surprise. His face was pained, as if he was pleading, and her thoughts disturbed him a lot.

"W-What?" she stuttered. "Not what I think? I have been raised to fear......them. How could she not be what I think she is? How could I live with that, when my brother himself, long gone, was the very thing I was raised to hate, raised to recognize and scorn because of his very..._nature_?"

I sat their frozen. Was she talking about....vampires?


	6. 6 Hostage

**Cool chapter....seriously. And please, if you have a Twilight forum that is seriously good, tell me cuz I wanna join one!!! So in this chapter you're not going to find the DUM DUM DAAAA kind of a thing.....but close enough. So yeah, I'm using these holidays to write so have fun!!!!**

6. Hostage

And then her eyes turned to me, and she looked at me with her brow furrowed, as if she was concentrating on something painful.

"What are you doing to my wife?" snarled Edward menacingly.

She paused. "I'm doing what I can do. Understanding her."

I realised that my shield had been deteriorated. I hadn't concentrated enough to keep it one me. Fiercely, I ppulled it back upon myself, waiting.

But it was too late. The girl had done what she wanted to, and now, there was nothing in here eyes. No fear. No recognition. Not even shock. She was just....empty.

Her mouth moved soundlessly again, and then they hsaped a question.

"How did you give...birth to her?"

What a strange question. What would I tell her without ruining the secret that bound us together?

"Did you give birth to her?" she asked, realising the mistake in her questions.

When I nodded, she froze. Her eyes conveyed nothing but a stream of welling tears. It made me so furious to not be able to see her eyes properly that I wanted to smash the house. I needed to see what she was hiding.

The girl stood still, for at least five minutes, and when her tears oozed out of her eyes, and flowed down her face, she stepped forward.

"Edward?" I whispered, uncomfortable.

But he was as frozen as when he'd found out first that I was pregnant.

She stepped forward till she was less that an inch away from me.

Unconsciously, she raised a finger, and deliberately, put it on my cheek.

It stung where she'd touched me, because her skin was so warm and soft, I couldn't believe she was human. he ache in my throat rose dully, but I'd had enough animal blood today, unwilling for more thirst.

When the skin made contact, she jerked as if she was hurt, and I couldn't understand anything - why had she jerked that way? What was she thinking...what was going on?

Then, slowly, her eyes locked onto mine, and her own cinnamon ones widened with fear, and I knew why.

My eyes were a reddish amber, still not fully yellow. That must have scared her.

She gased, and her heartbeat accelerated too fast, and she was moving away from me, struggling with something to say. Edward unfroze and he looked at her...terrified, and he was anticipating something bad.....very bad.

She walked backwards till she hid the glass wall, and with one sweep of fear around the room, she threw her head back and screamed.

The scream as bloodcurdling, and it just went "AAAAAAAAAGH!" for a while. We all jumped in surprise, and just stared at her because she knew something bad.

Jacob sprinted across the room and gently slid his hand onto her mouth, muffling the scream which still continued to issue from her mouth.

"What?" Jacob yelled. "What happened?"

Her scream echoed into sobs and he let out a scared noise. She looked at Jacob as if he was a monster and swiftly, bit his hand. Jacob let out a cry of pain and removed his hand, jumping on the spot.

She looked around, trembling as some of us made our way to her, to calm her down.

"Stay away from me!!!" she screamed, crying. "Go away, let me go, stay away from me!"

"We wont hurt you," said Jasper, confused. "What happened?"

"Don't come near me!!!" she yelled, shrinking inwards as we advanced.

"What happened, what's wrong?" Esme asked.

"I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE....YOU BLOODSUCKERS!!!" she yelled.

We all stopped, and stood still in shock.

"KILLERS!" she sobbed uncontrollably.

"VAMPIRES!!!!"

With that she fled out the door crying.

Jasper crouched and leaped on her, and right before she screamed, he blocked her mouth with his hand.

I couldn't blame her for probably.....dying on the spot. Jasper shouldn't have done that, it was scary watching it from here. He leapt off her and dragged her back into the house.

When she was inside, the door shut and Edward was crouching near her, she was sitting at a corner, her knees bent inward to her chest, her ams wrapped around them. She was past the shock. It was fear. She rocked to and fro, and moaned.

"Let me go!" she moaned helplessly.

"We need to to tell us this much....how do you know about...Vampires?" Edward asked gently.

But under the mask, I could feel tension. I could see him breaking down, I didn't know what to do.

Jasper knew my emotions well. Relaxation flooded through the room onto me and Edward.

She looked around, breathing deeply.

"I don't know for certain." she whispered."All I know is that vampires drink blood, have pale, cold skin and unusual eyes."

She took a breath as Edward encouraged her.

"I don't know what else I could say....there's so much! All the legends, hell, myths even, they have surrounded my life for a long time."

She stopped there.

Edward started to ask her easier questions. "What's your name?"

"Lizzie," she whispered.

Edward hesitated. "How old are you??"

She was startled. "Fifteen, my birthay's next month."

He nodded. "Why.....did you go up to my wife like that?"

"I was curious," she whispered. "Vampires scare me."

"From......experience?" he asked intensely.

I gasped audibly, but no one paid attention.

"No," she said firmly. "Only curiosity."

"You're hiding something....." he said, in a pained voice.

"You would hide something too, when there's too much to be given away," she said." What with a person who can read minds, a person who can detect and alter moods, a person who has a mental shield and a person who has premonitions."

Edward gasped along with the rest of us and Carlisle stepped out, his face disturbed.

"How do you know this, Lizzie?"

All of us were thinking that she was Eleazar's offspring.

She grimaced."I don't know," she said bluntly."I can understand people well if I can concentrate on them.

Carlisle and Edward exchanged a glance.

"Understand them? How?"

"If I focus on someone...or thing..........I can see their personalities, the truth, their ties and doings and memories...whatever that makes them who they are." she frowned."It's not right. Only vampires have those powers. I'm not a vampire. It's abnormal, but so natural. It freaks other people out. Like if I walk down the road and my mom's friend is feeling blue, I accidently understand her like that and just give suggestions. It's damn freaky."

She looked around uncomfortably, as our eyes widened and Carlisle mutteres an audible "unbelievable!!!" under his breath.

The curious element was that this girl looked human, impossibly beautiful, she smelt human, and there was blush on her face, and her heartbeat was quickening. I also remembered that when she had touched me, her skin was warm, very warm, but dim in comparison to Renesmee's or Jacob's. Her skin was as warm as Charlie's. She was definitely human. And yet, the impossible knowledge of vampires, the beauty and the slightly pale skin, also the unusual power - she could have been a vampire for all I knew!

She breathed a quivering breath and moaned.

"Can I leave now?"

Edward hesitated. "One condition."

She closed her eyes and a tear oozed out the side and her chest rose up and down, as she shrunk into the corner.

"What?"

"It would be appreciated," Edward murmured," if you didn't say anything about us. We've tried our hardest to establish a nice, normal world for ourselves." His voice came out fierce.

Through the mask of fear, Lizzie's face broke with anger.

"Normal?" she asked, angry. "Normal, you say? What - luring hikers into the woods and....sucking their bloods for food?"

Jasper snarled.

Carlisle threw him a look and answered, pained.

"Lizzie," he said , "Traditional vampires, of course, like it comes to your knowledge, do drink human blood."

"Traditional?" she asked.

"The red eyed monsters."

She nodded imperiously.

Carlisle continued. "But look at us. We don't have red eyes. If you can see, our eyes are a yellow color. What does this say? I had discovered an alternative to my thirst when I first became a vampire. I could drink animal blood instead. This is what I've brought my family to realise. When they joined my coven, it wasn't human blood they drank. I was animal blood. I am a fierce protector of every important life I know, and I would do anything to protect anyone who deserves to be protected. I fashion myself....a vegetarian in vampire terms. We have established a base in such a way that I can keep an eye on my family, we can hunt our animals in the woods, and should there be any problem in the human world connected to a human," his eyes flickered towards me ,"I shall do whatever I can to make sure no life is wasted - or frozen for evermore."

Lizzie had noticed his glance that came at my direction.

"And her eyes?"

Edward's eye twitched a little.

"She is not quite that old. Her eyes aren't red. They're changing. This is because she is only a few months old. The animal blood diet is diluting the color."

"Newborn?" she asked. "And you said you didn't harm.....humans."

Carlisle answered this one. "Bella gave birth to the half-human half-vampire child you see there. As soon as that was done, she was dying, losing so much blood. My son, who married her, tried to save her life by changing her into a vampire. He injected his own venom into her heart, and she was changed, able to live on, and care for her daughter as well as spend her existence with my son, who she loves immensely."

The way Carlisle said it made me want to cry. His words came out so pleadingly, so softly, and so sweetly when he confirmed my love fore Edward, and his for mine.

I watched Lizzie mull this over. Seth and Leah were simply staring at the scene, tension clear on their faces, and they too were thinking heavily about the situation like I was.

How strange was this, the feeling that hung in the air - we were truly the more powerful species, and here we were, the fate of our identity in the hands of a single human girl,who had just come to deliver a letter from Sue and Charlie to us.

And as we stood there, waiting for her to understand our innocence, it could have all fallen down. If she didn't believe us, then we would have to move and start a new life...and Charlie would die of grief that his only daughter was a blood sucking vampire.

I looked at her. She was thinking it over, and it was evident on her face that she was torn - what to beleve: the legends, or us?

After a while, she nodded, and swallowed at the sacrifice.


	7. 7 Grand Poisoning and Letters

**School's started, and I'm itching to write a lot of POVs. Watch out for them, yeah? And someone has to PM me to tell me this: is Maria alive or dead? please read eclipse to find out!!!! And i'd really like someone to talk to so either PM me or review!!!!! I swear, its gonna get better soon. Sorry for the excessively long chapters, but im gonna get better. I always start stories fast, then i realize this, then i SLOW it down.**

7. Grand Poisoning and Letters.

We all loosened from our tense positions and sighed with relief.

Lizzie broke into a nervous giggle.

"You all look as if I was about to hurt you bad," she breathed. "And YOU'RE the vampires."

Renesmee smiled her blinding smile and Lizzie was immediately mollified.

"She's some beautiful girl," she whispered, relaxing from her hidden position.

Carlisle smiled. "She's half human, half vampire. Luckily, she was born to parents who were beautiful through and through."

"Kinda evident don't you think?" she chuckled nervously." You don't realise how perplexed I'm feeling with good vampires."

Edward raised an eyebrow.

She sensed his mute question. "I've met only bad ones."

Now that was new. She'd met bad ones?

Her face flushed a mouth watering red and she whispered, more to herself, "They killed my aunt."

Carlisle was horrified, but he knew better than anyone not to ask her about it in her moment of depression.

Slowly, Lizzie turned her head to look at the three werewolves.

"And finally!" she said in relief. "Normal people!!"

Jacob laughed to himself and he was expecting Seth and Leah to join him. We all were.

So why didn't they?

We all turned around to see Seth and Leah eating merrily.

But WERE they eating merrily? Both Seth and Leah were chewing slowly and deliberately, their nose wrinkled and brow furrowed, their mouths puckered in disgust. They slowly swallowed a mouthful of the food and grimaced heavily.

"What?" Edward asked cautiously.

Seth chewed a little, then in a wave of nausea, both of their eyes rolled up, their spoons clattered and they fell down, on their backs.

Like an eruption all of us ran to the place where Seth and Leah lay unconscious.

Lizzie got their the fastest, followed by Jacob, and then the rest of us.

As we got closer, evidently, there was white dribbling out of the uncounscious wolves' mouth. It smelt of petrol....and spew.

I wrinkled my nose and stopped breathing altogether and Lizzie pushed forward and squatted beside the food they were eating.

"What did I do wrong?" asked Edward worriedly.

"You cooked this?" she asked, pointing to the enchiladas on the plate.

Edward nodded, and her eyes zeroed onto the enchiladas. Something faintly black and gooey was visible inside one of the tortillas, and she scrutinized it. Gingerly, she whipped her finger through it, brought it to her nose and flinched.

"Who the hell put kerosene in these enchiladas?" she asked Edward.

Edward was flabbergasted," I doubt that its kerosene. I was lightning to you come up the stairs and hearing your thoughts, so I doubt I was paying much attention. Furthermore, when I served them, the food smelt fine.

Lizzie rolled her eyes. "Even though you can smell stuff better than humans, there is a reason why humans make better cooks for proper compatible food - because we can smell aroma of food better, and taste it too. You should have either ordered, or made something you can seriously put together without the need of human smell and taste ability."

Edward grinned. "I seriously didn't do it on purpose. But then again, I didn't smell any kerosene at all. At least vampire senses are good enough for that."

Carlisle frowned. "That was a grave mistake Edward. Seth and Leah might as well wake up and start a Quileute war."

"Quileute?" Lizzie asked, perplexed. "What's Quileute?"

Edward ignored her. "Man....I made such a bad mistake then!"

"What's a QUILEUTE?" Lizzie growled.

"It's a kinda tribe thing," Jacob snapped. He was cradling Leah's head gently.

She concentrated on the icky kerosene, scrutinizing it angrily.

"Kerosene isn't compatible with the human system at all......especially not in a fever," she gasped, feeling Seth's skin.

Edward had the grace to feel ashamed.

She got up and straightened. "You're a doctor, I take it?" she inquired, turning to Carlisle.

He nodded meekly and smiled.

"I think we should give him plenty of water to get that kerosene out. I could turn into something bad. Flush it out with fruits or stuff....." she muttered professionally.

She turned to leave, fearless and pushed the door open. Se walked out of the house and mounted her vicious bike. She put her foot down on the throttle and the bike roared awake. With her dainty hands, she put on a helmet and sat comfortably, but before she went, she nodded to us and smiled at Nessie.

With that she whirled around and rode away.

I phewed in relief and turned to stare at Edward. His face was a little more relaxed, more beautiful than ever. He turned to look at my bemused face.

"And you expected me to be like that?" I asked him teasingly.

He smiled my smile and laughed. He had found it really disturbing that when I was human, I never went running from him as I knew he was a vampire ..... and he expected me to be in shock and scream a lot.

The truth was, that the encounter had not even taken such a long time. Only five minutes. Five minuted in which thing after thing had happened, so fast, that I really didn't have the words to describe it.

I sat down on the couch while Nessie ran off to Jacob, who had now propped the bodies onto another sofa and was forcefeeding them water. I found Charlie's weird letter and slit it open, sighing as I did so. From there, i took out a letter and started to read it. It was handwritten in his curly, nearly illegible writing, and it said....

Hey Bells!

I'm so sorry I couldn't come to see you for this.....I didn't want to bother you with anything bad. Sue and I decided to go on a holiday to Cannes and enjoy over there. It was a long time since we've been out anywhere, and I was getting pretty busy at the office. We asked Billy to come, but he was too preoccupied to come, and so Sue and I packed our bags and left. Sorry for not giving you warning, but its just a holiday. We do need a break.

I wanted to bring you and Nessie and Edward along too, but I've noticed that Sue doesn't like it. She wanted to come, because nowadays, Billy isn't that much into socializing with her, so she just ends up with plain old Charlie. I don't know why Billy is so preoccupied, he won't talk to me or Sue anymore.

Sue was surprised that I didn't have any French in me...just German, so I've been learning French since Christmas. We're hoping to get a translator over there because we don't want to take risks. But Cannes would be so much fun! And I guess you would rather spend time with family right now. I'll be sure to write everyday – and Sue asked me to write to you and tell you to tell Seth and Leah about the holiday because they've been on FICTITIOUS duties and she hasn't the time to write now......she's too busy talking to her aunt over their in Nice!

I'm sorry to be informing you this late Bells, but I guess you have your life to enjoy and it's not like you'll stay my little girl forever.

Love

Charlie.

PS – I might be back around July…

I reread Charlie's letter again, and it struck me odd that Charlie would like to go on a holiday with Sue at this time of the year. Maybe he and Sue were actually really close together nowadays. This connectivity made me a little startled because maybe Sue and Charlie would end up like Phil and Renee. Maybe they would start their own lives. I only felt bad for Billy at this stage; because Charlie couldn't understand the pain it was causing Billy – to have a single mother who was a part Quileute, like him (except he was a single dad), only to lose her because she and his best friend Charlie were already so close up together nowadays. So what if I ended up having Sue as a mom? Would it feel weird?

Sure, it'd be weird to have Seth and Leah as half siblings, but I could get used to it. At least Charlie would be happy.

Edward read the letter over my shoulder sneakily, just from the corner of his oh-so-sharp eyes. I smacked him on the back of his head, moving faster than a cobra about to attack. He winced theatrically.

"Hey Seth, Leah!" I called over my shoulder.

Seth and Leah were awake, sipping water and scowling heavily at Edward, Seth jokingly, but Leah had taken the accident to heart. Jacob had got them icepacks which were, ironically, already water. Seth turned his eyes to me in a feeble manner, and Leah's flitted my way and back.

"Yeah?" asked Seth.

"Sue's gone for a holiday to Cannes with Charlie."

"Oh," said Leah, distracted. Her expression was depicting the thoughts of the same wavelength as mine. "Holiday to Cannes?"

"How come she never told us?!" said Seth.

"They've been preparing, and Sue knows you have wolf responsibilities, so she hasn't wanted to distract you all."

Seth rolled his eyes.

"Homeless again." He muttered to himself, not knowing that we could hear him.

"No you're not," said Jacob. His face suddenly changed with the realization that he might be wrong. "He doesn't need to, right? He can stay here……?"

Edward rolled his eyes theatrically and grinned, "What kind of repayment would it be if I didn't let you at least sleep in my house? I'm sorry Seth; I should have watched what I was doing."

"Never mind then." Seth said. "Hey, buddy, its ok. And thanks for letting me stay here a while."

Leah still looked a little dazed from the whole poisoning thing.

"Holiday in Cannes?" she said again. "Lot more serious than I expected now, isn't it?"

"What _did_ you expect?" I asked her casually.

"Well, I expected mom to be consoling to both Billy and Charlie. I mean firstly, I couldn't believe how mom could even move on from Dad, I mean where's the mourning? Where's the regret? I expected her to slow her pace down, you know. Then of course, she's never go on a holiday with anyone except dad, or us. She wouldn't even go to Switzerland with grandma when she'd come over and Dad had gone to New Orleans for a fishing convention. And now, she's all ready to go with Charlie, to Cannes. That's a little weird. I also expected mom to backtrack a little, sot be around the boys all that much. But she's with Charlie 24/7 so it's a little more serious that the outcome I had imagined for her."

The way she spoke of her mother – it was the way a mother would speak of her child. Protectively.

I recalled Charlie's short PS. He'd be back in June.

And this was plain May. Two months? Was he really going to take that long? What id Leah was right? What if this relationship turned into something crazy?

Immediately, I thought marriage.

Then I thought Seth and Leah: my step siblings. Harry, my alternate, dead father. Werewolf blood in my family. And what if they had a kid…..my real sister/brother…..part werewolf. It was as if my family had somehow grown – werewolf, human and vampire, coexisting peacefully. Now THAT was a scary part.

At the same time, I wanted Charlie to be happy. But if it hurt mom? Well, she had hurt Charlie by marrying Phil.

This was the kind of dilemma I didn't want to be put in.


	8. 8 Encounters

**It has been SOOOOOO long since I did this! I'm sorry everyone – or the people who've read and liked it at least – and I promise I won't keep it off like this. BDW – THIS CHAPTER IS THE TURNING POINT. I changed my plot COMPLETELY, and the brilliant idea sparked me in the middle of the night!! So here we go – the new plot is the fact that the werewolves get the love stories mixed up!!! Please review – and thank you soooooo much for those who have!!**

**Lion-lambs-forever : thanks….this ones a cliffhanger too, its gonna make you really confused.**

**Bad Wolf Jr : be nice, now, Rose!! It was my first one!!**

**Kitimastr: thank you soooooo much for reading this!**

**Helbaffy: I won't have you wait longer!**

**Acid Poptarts: I've got a new game plan, so enjoy..!**

* * *

Over the next two days, the whole Lizzie thing was at the back of my mind. Leah and I (surprisingly) were having these conversations on Sue and Charlie's excelling relationships. Leah really wasn't all that bad, considering that she loathed vampires. She had actually talked to Seth that day she got poisoned (luckily the incident hadn't marred her 'liking' towards us) about the whole "I'm actually liking these vamps" point of view. She had actually unregrettably accepted Edward's decision to camp at our house here, and since then, she'd a) gotten appreciative of Renesmee and b) started accepting what we were, and looked at us as who we are rather than our species.

It was a bright, sunny afternoon for a winter; so naturally, no sign of the Cullens was visible in the town of Forks. Inside the Cullen house, however, was a quiet kind of babble.

Only a little while ago, we had heard the sputtering of a bike and footsteps nearing the front door. A faint tune of music could be heard as well, and a melodious voice singing along. A very familiar voice. And as Edward had left the side table on which he was perched, talking to Carlisle, to open the door, he'd sighed at once and then opened the door, an expression of "ok! Ok! So I made a mistake – don't torture me for it!" and familiar cinnamon eyes had mysteriously appeared,

"Hi," she had told Edward, "I got mail for Bella Cullen."

Edward smirked. "And food, I see."

She looked a little abashed. That drew our attention to a square Tupperware box she was holding in her hands, from which we could smell the unappealing aroma of vegetables, tomato sauce, cheese and a bready like thing.

"It made me scared to imagine you cooking for the," she gulped, "Normal people around here. What if you'd accidently," she made quotation marks with her right hand, "put rat poison in their….omelets or something? I decided that my fabulous culinary skills could finally be of good use to somebody around here."

She smiled ruefully, as if she had just proved that E=MC squared to a stubborn Edward who believed otherwise.

"And, as I said earlier……you've got mail."

She held out two envelopes, and standing at the doorway, stretched her hand out to Edward, as if expecting him to take it.

"What," Edward grinned, "No coming inside today?"

"Best not risk it," she said in a shaky voice and urgently shook the envelopes.

Grudgingly, Edward took them, a pained look on his face, as if the action was really bad.

And now, Lizzie was sitting cross-legged beside the couch, doling out thick, delicious looking pasta from her oversized Tupperware box. She ladled out a considerable amount on four plates, and then retrieved a wrapped cheese from the same box and a small grater, which she used to grate the cheese over the pasta. She then took out a small pot of green thingies and when she opened the lid, the pungent aroma of fresh olives lingered in the air.

After topping the pasta with olives and coriander, she passed a plate to Jacob, one to Renesmee and two to Leah, who had left the place where her brother was sleeping and had come to get food for herself and Seth.

Jacob looked at the food with an unsure eye, and sniffed at it once. Deciding that it was fine enough, he experimentally hooked some of the tomato-and-mushroom sauce covered penne pieces on a fork, drew it to his mouth and chewed it slowly.

Lizzie's eyebrow was raised and the look on her face was comical – amused and a little offended at the same time.

Jacob chewed slowly, eyes of everyone on his face.

He swallowed after some time and his face went blank.

"What?" asked Renesmee and Leah at the same time.

"Is it bad? Good? Disgusting? Enchanting? Powerful? Poisoned?" Renesmee asked in a high voice.

"Jacob?" Leah waved her fingers in front of his face nervously. "You with us dude?"

Edward snorted and turned his head away.

Jacob blinked twice, as Leah's fingers had shaken him out of his torpor.

"This is………," he struggled to continue, "…………wow."

He took one more bite and shook his head in delight.

"Why thank you. Told you I'm a good cook." Lizzie smiled again, this time to Edward.

"Humph," Edward's eyes were a little abashed.

Why was Edward a little abashed? It was as if his impression was dented now because of Lizzie…..he looked a little put out.

Every frown of Edward's, every smile of his, every single twitch or change of expression on his face was magnified tenfold when I looked at it. And every single change made me worry, or wonder or heavily ponder over the cause of it and what was going on in his mind.

As I sat there, just staring at their every move, Edward's every change of expression, I wondered when this was. It was just today.

And I had known Lizzie for how long? Say just a week or something. And yet, after freaking out like anything, she was like a great friend to this coven. Everyone seemed to trust her of course. But I – I felt something much different. I felt this weird kind of a stuttering near her – maybe because she had a power of understanding people, or maybe because she gave away this kind of aura that wasn't entirely human, but attractive and normal and repulsive at the same time. Also….some kind of negative…..energy would come out of her occasionally.

Another thing I had trouble realizing was the fact that the only people she had seen eye-to-eye was me, Nessie, Edward, Jacob, Leah, Carlisle and Jasper.

I opened the letter addressed to me, meanwhile, skimmed it and smiled. Charlie was having fun and Sue was too, and he was asking us about our life here at the moment – I would call him soon. Again, as I assessed his letter, I felt the weak pang of unease at the fact that he was getting closer to Sue.

The other letter was addressed to Carlisle for the electricity bill and everything, I got up, ran across the room to place it on the table and ran back, sitting on the sofa.

From then on, whenever Lizzie would come to our place, she always had letters, and each time she came, her expression became more and more somber. Each time she came, she made wonderful food, quoting the wolves, and they ate it up with sheer enjoyment.

Today, Lizzie knocked on the door while Alice, Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett had gone out to the cinemas to watch a few movies, and Carlisle had an emergency case at the hospital, while Esme had gone to buy home accessories.

This time, as soon as the bike sputtered, Leah's head snapped up at once, as if she had been waiting for this. Previously, she had gone to Lizzie's place and was with her, as there was something troubling Lizzie….

Leah opened the door, and Lizzie walked in with two envelopes and a box. But her hair was lank and lifeless, her eyes baggy underneath and tired, soft somehow as if she had been crying. I saw Edward's eyes fall with sorrow and concern as he read her mind, and as he turned to me, he nodded. And I knew he would tell me later.

**Lizzie's POV**

I walked through the door slowly; my heart speared as if every step I took cursed me. The pain was growing…growing….

The room was room temperature, and I saw Leah with reproachful eyes, and she was looking at my expression, fears confirmed.

It was all too fast. I didn't care. I didn't care if this was wrong or right or bad or wonderful or hot or cold or beautiful or ugly or mathematical or pseudoscientific…..

I handed the box with steaks and grilled cheese sandwiches to Jacob without looking at him and I turned to go out.

"I'm sorry." Leah sounded sympathetic. "Come here and tell me everything."

I faced her, and a traitor tear pooled from my puffy eyes and down my cheek.

"Too painful…" I told her. "I can't. I'm not ready. I'm afraid……"

Leah hugged me tight, and her scorching skin didn't surprise me, only day before yesterday, as I sat on the cliff mourning over a possible loss, she had come to sit beside me and told me that he, her brother, Jacob, Sam – all these people – were werewolves.

But I didn't care. Losing someone you would think you'd never lose was like a feeling that no-one could explain without experience. I thought I'd never lose Leo, never. But there he was. Lost.

And worse…it was my birthday today. My becoming 18 at long last. And he had just left me heartbroken of the cliff, and had gone into the Lynette's car…who he was dating since last year. And our relationship was on for three years. Including this one. If I were smart – I would have jumped off that cliff that second – but some sort of paralyzing instinct had told me to come here.

But then again…a lot of things were making me feel weird this morning.

First of all – I had felt this urge to – to bite my foster mum. I mean not "bite" exactly, but she smelt better than ever before – and my teeth felt…thin all of a sudden. And then, my temperature had hiked enormously too – making dad worry a little. Then of course, my reflexes were a little faster than usual – I surprised mum when I stopped the vase from falling as I ran real fast to it in a second or something. Oh – and the knife slipped and it kinda stabbed my in my hand when I was alone shopping vegetables, but I happened to come out hardly wounded, and healed fast as anything!

But nothing mattered. It just didn't matter.

Love was something that spun me to who I am. It had held me together.

And now I was in pieces. I wasn't even feeling much heartbreak physically – something that told me that I was too damaged.

Leah hugged my and then frowned.

"You're warm. Warmer than a …human. Do you have a fever, Liz?" she frowned at me.

I shook my head.

"ETAD. Emotional Trauma Aftermath Disorder." I blubbered.

"There's no such thing-" she started.

"There is now." I cut across her, my voice breaking.

"There, there…" she said, steering me to the room.

I knew this was a scene – but I couldn't keep a track of myself. I turned to look at everyone and I saw Bella looking at me in a surprised manner. Yeesh – vampire. I tried to understand her, trying to see why she was staring at me.

I saw a blurry mass of memories in her – her mind played up some faces – Seth, Jacob, Edward and all these people I hadn't actually met eye-to-eye.

Who cared? Did I even want to care?

I edged forward as if the thing pulling me here since morning was once again tugging onto me…

I walked forward to reclaim my food box from Jacob, and went to kneel beside Jacob, Leah and Seth.

They were werewolves – I knew that now – but nevertheless, the spasm of fear that should have run through my muscles never came. I didn't feel no fear – I just felt a feeling of…decorum.

I ladled out the food onto a few plates and I served Jacob then Leah.

I saw Seth lifting a plate kindly, and he said "You take it. You could use some food."

I stopped immediately, because the voice…the tone…it was exactly like Leo's, and that made the food box slip from my hands and crash.

Seth's russet hand whipped out fast to hold it and I looked up into his eyes.

He was looking back at me with brilliant black eyes…

And then out of nowhere – something weird clicked inside of me. Something I had never felt before.

Looking into Seth's smoldering black eyes, I felt exhilarated, and I was looking at him because it seemed as if before this, I had never seen boys. I saw him and I could hear a fresh chorus of "hallelujah" playing in my head, and it felt as if …… this sudden weight just lifted from my heart…..and I was free, I was flying like a balloon….and the only this kept me here was a single thread holding us together, and I felt so…..so WACKO I just didn't know what to say! It was hard to believe that I had _actually_ seen any boys til now!! Impossible!! And then I felt such…_attachment_…! This feeling was so whole, so …… gargantuan and unexplainable and it made my heart swell and it made me feel connections with him – as if he was my salvation, and I was the beggar.

The weird this I realized was that I was using my power to understand him.

And he was feeling the _exact same thing_. Only, his was stronger, as if……I was the priestess of light, and he was the prisoner of darkness.

My grief fled from my mind as I felt my face reflected in his eyes.

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**Hehe – review me to tell me what has just happened between the two, and let me give you some trivial stuff**

**She has a vampiric power**

**She has done something Seth has too.**

**Now isn't her generic "species" confusing?**

**Go to the shiny review but and go clicky!!**

**Love…**

**Ash (\/)**


	9. 9 Sub Species

**Sorry for the slowwwww update - I was working on my other stories as well : people, I am taking a LONG break from Edward's Moments of Emotion, so yeah.**

**Enjoy this chapter, it'll send CHILLS down your spine.**

**A few thank you's to all my reviewers:**

**ASHLEY GREENE: you rock - thank you sooooooooooooo much for your amazing reviews!!**

**And you too rose, dani and shy!! and eveyon else right now - and when I finish this, there will be a special chapter for acknowledgements. Meanwhile, I shall dedicate my chapters to all the reviewers, one by one.**

**This chapter is for one of my bffs at school - Shyesteh [Shy] - who I wanna thank for the motivation and enthusiasm - and the threats if i didn't update soon!!**

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Lizzie's POV

We both looked at each other for quite some time, and I could feel Edward trying to explain to everyone what had been going on. But he was just spluttering and cutting his words in half and spacing them with gasps.

Even I didn't know what was going on. I caught myself on time and tried to look away, my fingers grabbing midair when I was too late to realize that the food-box had disappeared from my hand – I turned to look for it and I found a grinning Jacob twiddling the box. His grin was mighty huge, and it stretch from ear to ear.

"What just happened?" he asked me, a smile coloring his voice.

"What do you mean what happened?" I improvised, trying not to look at Seth's gorgeous eyes.

From the corner of my eyes, I could see Seth's blinded expression still pasted on his face, and I wanted to stroke his face so badly – but I controlled myself.

Edward walked towards me, understanding on his face but confusion too. He bent down, his gorgeous face inches from mine, but he was analyzing my expression.

"It seems fine…" he murmured to himself.

I shook my head and got up, still shaken about the whole thing.

"Lizzie, wait!" Jacob scrambled up and ran to me, grabbing my arm. "What just happened???"

His puzzled tone was true – though he knew to a certain extent what had just happened.

From behind, I heard loudly and clearly Edward whispering, "By god, she….imprinted."

I whipped around, puzzlement, confusion, anger, suspicion, misunderstanding and unfair scheming also spattering cross my face as if someone was painting with emotions. I could feel the corner of my mouth turned up in confusion.

"What is imprinting?" I blurted out.

All the pale godly vampires exchanged a loaded look.

The caramel haired on opened her mouth to speak, her eyes as wide as saucers, and she glared at me, and said, "You weren't supposed to hear that!"

"You guys are loud, you realize?" I rolled my eyes at her.

"No," Bella started, getting up. "We talk really fast and really low, so no one ever hears us. How did you hear that?"

"Everyone who has ears heard that!" I blurted out.

"There is something seriously fishy going on around here," said Emmett, a look dawning on his face. He looked like a schoolboy who had just got the joke.

"I really don't get it…" said Edward, stepping towards me.

"Get what?"

"I don't get it either," said Jacob.

"GET WHAT?" I yelled, anger pooling out of my eyes and stabbing the Cullens.

"Ok," started Bella. "Firstly, you reek."

Thanks, Bella.

"You can hear us," added Edward.

"You have grown a hell of a lot since last time," chirped Renesmee.

"I read your thoughts and you felt a pull to this place…" Edward murmured.

"Your reflexes are amazing, considering that event that took place is your house," muttered Emmett, a grin on his face.

"How did you know?" I asked, a scandalized tone color tinting my tone.

"We were running for fun," he laughed.

"And I think you just imprinted…," said Jacob.

"And I can't see you." The quiet and hurt voice of Alice interrupted.

I took some time to process this absurd thing.

"I'm standing right here, Alice…."

"I meant I can't see you in terms of premonitions. You're not appearing anywhere."

"Ok, what is this imprinting thing???" I yelled, furious.

"Imprinting," said Jacob, glancing at Renesmee. "Imprinting is like finding your soul mate. In birds, when a baby bird is born, the first thing they see is imprinted or embossed in their minds, and hence they have a deep connection with the first thing they saw. In a similar way, werewolves," I gulped, "when we find our soul mate, then the memory of when we look eye-to-eye etches a connection with them in our hearts – so it means we have found our life partner and our destiny id to be by their sides. It's like when you have found the one, you feel as if you have never seen anyone of the opposite gender before. It is a wonderful, freeing experience. And when you do imprint, you do whatever it takes for them to be happy – be their elder sibling figure, their love, you're just attached to them forever."

I swallowed this in. A huge fear just melted and hardened in the pit of my stomach – and I was totally freaked out. I was worried to word my suspicions….

"Werewolf," I whispered. "I'm a werewolf...!"

"Yes," said Rosalie, in a tone that was an angle away from a "duh".

"No." said Edward.

"Edward, don't lie…"

"No," agreed Carlisle. "Edward is right."

"No," said Jasper.

I sat down, frustrated.

"So what's wrong? What am I??"

"You are a part vampire, I think."

I closed my eyes at this point, and didn't bother to see who had spoken. My heart just stopped for a moment.

"How," I whispered, agonized.

"Well," I could hear Jasper deliberating. "When I jumped on you, my clawy hands should have ripped your shoulders off, but your skin….it was really hard to dent or scratch."

I shuddered, and I heard Emmett hit Jasper on the head.

"Also," Carlisle added sincerely. "Those weeks ago, when you were afraid of us and you backed into the wall, a pin pricked you, accidentally, and you left a little blood on it. On analysis, I found that you have 24 chromosomes, which could easily mean you were a part hybrid – but on an even closer analysis…" Carlisle faltered slightly, "The characteristics of your cells are partly vampiric, and partly shape shifter."

My eyes wrenched themselves open and I goggled at Carlisle, my heart rate hiking tremendously.

"And about that," Jasper nodded to my chest, where my pulse rate has increased. "Your heartbeat is slow. Fifty beats a minute."

I gasped out loud, sobbing a little and tears coming out of my eyes. My lips quivered and I shook back and forth – because despite my emotional stability – whatever was happening, it was lighting the burning rockets of trauma deep, deep in my heart.

I couldn't hold it in – I had to go somewhere and scream.

I got up immediately, faltering a little, and I scrambled up. I turned around and my heart stopped – because I had just stumbled into the cautious arms of Seth. He had moved to stand behind me, and his arms were firmly on my shoulders. His eyes were dazed, but his face was set, brows furrowed, and I saw something in his face that kept me from crying.

"Don't go just yet..." he pleaded.

Too late. The sincerity in his childish voice made tears flow from my eyes like the Niagara Falls.

He looked broken and immediately wiped my tears and shook me slightly, love spilling from his sincere dark eyes.

"Its okay, Lizzie." His voice was soft.

"How is it okay?" I almost yelled, my voice a little suppressed.

I turned away from him, facing all the vampires in the room, and Jacob and Leah.

"How is it okay?" I said again, my voice cracking as endless tears fell down my cheeks.

Seth hesitantly hugged me from behind, and he tried to calm me down.

"How is it okay when I'm a species no one knows…?" I cried again, hunched over Seth's arms entwined around my waist, my face tear stained and my throat giving away strangled sob sounds.

"It'll be fine," said Jasper trying to calm me down too – his hand on my shoulder.

At once, Seth snarled and yelled a dangerous "DON'T TOUCH HER!" at him, and frowning, Jasper withdrew his hand, Alice snarling and crouching down to face Seth.

"No, NO ALICE!" commanded Esme.

Alice straightened out, looking a tad apologetic but mostly annoyed.

My sobs were breaking all boundaries, the collar of my shirt was wet and I was shaking.

"Look," said Edward, cautiously stepping forward. "You're unique, and you fit in, and that's all that matters."

I screamed almost as soon as he finished. "You don't know, Edward! You don't know! All my life – all my life I have been working against the very creation that killed my aunt, that bloodsucker vampire, and that horrid furry wolf that took my dad!!!" I screamed out, crying.

"What wolf? What dad – your dad is fine, Lizzie." Emmett sounded urgent and hasty.

I sobbed more, sniffling, until Seth straightened me, and lifted my face up to his neck, and made me burrow myself there.

"What happened?" he whispered.

"One day, my dad and mom and I were out for a picnic, and something happened where she did something unnatural."

He cradled me tighter.

"I was six," I continued, buried in the depths of the image – my face right now was puckered like a baby's. "And daddy reacted to mom scarily – he…he….he….turned into this hairy wolf….and I got so scared."

I wasn't capable of speaking any more. The image of the large, murky black furred wolf…animal….cowering over my petrified mother.

"Oh god," said Carlisle, like he just got something.

"What?" everyone was startled.

"Look, Lizzie," said Carlisle, "I need to perform an analysis of your blood again. That other blood sample was somehow useless – you are nearing adulthood, and that is when your genes have started to act properly – your father wasn't taken by wolves, Lizzie," I looked him glaringly in the eye. "He was one. He had it in his genes."

"So then her mother is a half vampire?"

"I think so," Carlisle muttered. "No other reason."

"We have to examine this Carlisle, we really do…." Edward sounded panicky.

"Don't go near my parents-"

"We have to," Jacob interrupted quietly. "For your sake."

Silence fashioned itself into a thick and permeating blanket – draping the thoughts and the mindsets of everyone in the large room.

My eyes flit from eye to eye; I felt Seth arms tighten around me – his whispering sounding like urgent "no, no, no…"s….

"What?" I said when everyone's eyes grew large, except a teenage looking Renesmee's.

She simply looked helpless, cuddling Bella tightly, and Bella cuddled her back.

"Mommy," she whispered. "It's like last year all over again, isn't it?"

"What is??" I whispered, annoyed.

"No…no…..this is not happening….." Bella closed and opened her eyes constantly, hugging Edward tightly, and the pained look on his face was so atrocious – his head on Bella's – his hands tousling Renesmee's hair – I just couldn't figure out what was going on. But whatever it was, it was going to be really bad.

"What?" I repeated again. "What happened last year? What's wrong?"

Alice gasped.

Edward gasped too, reading Alice's mind.

"NO!" he exclaimed.

"WHAT?" I yelled.

"You're something that is different. You're something special."

Pause. Tick tock, tick tock.

"You have a unique power, and you're a mixture of three races/ species that could make you the strongest in the whole wide world."

I was definitely missing a joke. Studying the way Jacob was staring at Renesmee – a hopeless fear clouding his eyes and his expression deadly and anguished, I knew it was seriously bad.

"How does it matter if I am the perfect warrior?"

Silence.

"Answer me."

Silence.

"Is there a force that collects warriors?"

Silence. Jasper twitched.

"Is there someone who wants me??"

Everyone exchanged a glance. Jacob, who was turned away, was the one who answered.

"Yes, there is a force out there coming for you."

His voice sounded really dead – so dead that I couldn't hold it in. A whimper escaped my mouth.

"Who?"

Silence again.

"They'll be here in a month," Alice said, glaring at Seth [who's expression I was afraid to see].

"Can we move till then?" Esme questioned Alice urgently.

"They have trackers with them." Bella reminded her.

"Can we fight them?"

"They have a bigger army," whispered Alice.

"Who? Who's coming?"

The fear in their voice was thick and heavy, and the word name they said sent chills down everyone's spine; Renesmee buried her face in Bella's chest, and whimpered.

"The Volturi."

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**So now, the secre, if you are dyslexis, is that she is a tri-species. She is part shapeshifter/wolf - vampire - human. Her dad is a long branched Quileute descendant, and her mum is a hybrid just like Renesmee. Any queries and exclamations and ideas and nice stuff and criticism, you know what to do...REVIEW!!**

**Go to the shiny review but and go clicky!!**

**Love…**

**Ash (\/)**

**[thnx again Shyesteh - you rule!! Plus, you have to still give me Ghajini and Rab Ne and Twilight on your pen drive. lol!!]**


	10. 10 New Enemies

**Hello, this chapter had GOT to be better. My secret enemty is revealeeeeed.**

**Well, dedication to my friend Rose (Bad Wolf Jr)- have fun, ROsie Posie!!**

**Enjoy, and review sil vous plait..!!**

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Third Person POV.

Joy spiked the miniscule town of Forks as the skies darkened and the snow began to fall; the chunky flakes, not at all pretty, were welcome nevertheless. Their swirling motions attracted much attention from the small kids, and electrified some of the older ones who had always loved the snowfall. Within a few hours of the first snowfall, the ground was already a 3-inch white landscape, the trees frozen and icy, fringed by icicles. The sky was a swirling mass of dark grey and unicorn white – so pure; it was hard to find a more Judgment-Day kind of sky anywhere else.

Sun wasn't seen much. The only feeble rays of sunshine were rare, only to come by possibly for one second of one early morning in a light week. But this was the time the Cullens could thrive in – they could be seen in the malls, in the streets, in the schools – anywhere and everywhere.

But in the time where everyone was enjoying, some people just couldn't rest without a constant worry in their minds.

For when one had forever to live – life could get boring. When one had forever to live, there wasn't something like that when they would die, they needn't worry anymore; quite the opposite, truth be told. They would have to wake up from their worrisome reverie everyday looking around and then going back into worrying.

The small town was as joyous as ever – it had changed year by year. Arrangements had been made in one of the unusually hot summers of Forks o construct a pool for fun – a very popular demand, which was then savored by everyone. The pool was a sparkling deep blue pile up of square-set water, and the kids loved to fool around in the warm-ish waters on sunny days. The beach just seemed too unpredictable – the clouds rolled over any time.

But in the winter, one had to be out of their mind to use the pool. Which is why, when a kid was bored, wacky and wanted to swim, he went to the pool in winter – only to find it frozen rock solid because of the plummeting temperature and the moisture in the air. The same kid was still struck with joy, and he used his mother's ice-skates and had a ball skating. The tradition became popular with other adults and children alike.

Of the many stumbling and joyful couples on the ice-rink-pool today, there was a particular one that stumbled in ever centimeter covered, taking their partner along with them. Then there was one couple who truly belonged to an Italian figure skating academy. There was another who just skated round and round and round and round, not watching their way, but just staring into each other' eyes and smiling, with an occasional Ina Bauer here and there.

The stumbling couple was amongst the loudest people on the rink. It consisted of a medium-height girl with strong red hair that cascaded down her back beautifully, with a black beanie covering her ears and forehead; her skin was a palish complexion, her lips pink with cold, her nose broad and white with a small stud glittering from it. She was well-sculpted, her curves subtle but attractive, and she was dressed in a woolen checked dress that reached her knees and thin woolen tights, with a long beige woolen coat on considering the cold. She was arm in arm with a stunningly cute man, with dark skin and eyes, his black hair slightly poking from under the tan beanie. He was as tall as her, both of them toweringly tall, the difference in their skin tones startling. But they were the couple having the most fun.

The palest couples on the ice floor congregated at the side of the rink, and so did the stunning stumbling couple. They were all laden, through some of them looked a little large and uncomfortable under the many layers. They were all beautiful.

They laughed and laughed about their whole experience there, and headed into the woods, from where they all started running at superhuman speed and halted at the glamorous mansion-like house in the clearing. The girl with the red hair and the orange-cinnamon eyes however was not exactly running like the pale people; though she was frighteningly pale herself. She crouched down, and she had an intense look of concentration on her face – a second later, her skin tone shifted very fast from the pale to a russet, and her skin started spouting fur. A second later, she was a large carroty colored wolf, and beside her stood a larger sandy colored wolf, and they both sprinted off into the jungle – with the carroty on being terrifyingly fast. As soon as they sprinted off, another brown wolf sprinted after them, accompanied by a pretty girl of age 18. She ran fast like the pale people, and was capable of keeping up with the wolves. Her peals of laughter tinted the sky.

The pale people, and the three wolves, entered the house – the carroty one changed back to her beautiful, pale self, without a scratch on her clothes which had reappeared with her skin, but the two other wolves flat out sprinted to the top of the house and changed into clothes which they had previously attached to their legs.

On coming down, everything was calm. Everyone was laughing and talking – Alice was sitting on Jasper's lap, and they were talking to an equally positioned Bella and Edward. Rosalie and Emmett were just giggling and laughing at certain innuendos. Nessie was just sitting aimlessly waiting for Jacob, and she was tall and eighteen now. She was talking animatedly with Lizzie.

Lizzie had changed beyond recognition. This was two years after the Volturi had once arrived for the cause of punishing the Cullens for raising an immortal child – Renesmee – and then gone, unsuccessful. In those two years, Lizzie had transformed. Her long red hair had begun to fringe her butt – it was that long. She had side sweep, eyebrow sweeping bangs now. Her skin had changed from a pleasant peach to a startling pale because of those vampire genes. Her eyes had changed to a more amber-cinnamon – a scary but unique color. She hardly feasted on animals or blood at all. Her diet consisted of human food only. Her teeth were a little sharp, and hardly venomous. But she could change into a werewolf, with carroty fur correlated with her stunning hair color. She would change her skin from pale to russet a split second before transformation. She was, however, frozen to her age, and she could only grow when she would give up her werewolf status. She was terribly fast – as a wolf and as a vampire. She didn't have the fight impulse, much, but she loved to be engaged in some kind of a challenge. She had changed plenty. And progressed as a human too.

And her relationship with Seth was simply amazing – it had evolved like a bud into a flower, and the romance between them was amazing – sincere, little Seth and pretty, witty Lizzie.

Nessie grabbed Jacob and drew him into a long kiss as he came downstairs, and Lizzie watched Seth as he made his way to her, lifted her, and laid her down on his lap and they started to talk. Their relationship was less desperate and forced like Nessie and Jacob's – who were only together because it was meant to be – but rather very up and down, but still a little forced like theirs'.

Everyone just talked on and on about the ice-skating; it wasn't as if there was much conversation to be made.

The evening passed by, and the different couples started to engage themselves in different activities – Jacob and Nessie had moved into one of the upper bedrooms to engage in activities together. Alice, Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper were fooling around with fashion on a program on the computer, and Bella and Edward were playing chess. Edward was winning – but this time on skill, and Bella didn't dare let him into her mind.

Around six in the evening, Esme and Carlisle went to the kitchen and started preparing a meal – the Cullens were supposed to be having a special reunion dinner and they all had to make some really nice food. The treaty had been suppressed for now – today, werewolves and vampires would together meet at the border line and organize a nice dinner, and it was meant to be for the wolves, the Cullens, and some of the humans. Carlisle and Esme had started to prepare some posh roasted meats – they already had the turkey good to roll, and they were now making a nice seafood medley. The lobster was already scenting the room, and the oysters were now in line. Rosalie and Bella too dwindled in to start helping – and soon were joined by Edward, who, with Bella, made a killing chef machine. Bella already had master experience while dealing with food, and resolved into making a nice Mexican corner as well – chicken enchiladas were steaming in the microwave and steak and potatoes were working – the steak had been marinated throughout the day, and the potatoes boiled and buttered.

At seven, everyone from in the house settled down, inhaling the tantalizing scents, though not very irresistible to half the occupants. Seth, Lizzie and Jacob, however, seemed restless and eager to dig into the food. After a little nanosecond of talking, the door flew open gently, and in came in some of the Quileute people – Sam came in with a flushed Emily who was carrying a large pie. Behind them came in a bouncy and unperturbed Leah who was arm in arm with her new boyfriend she had started dating – Ezekiel, who everyone preferred to call Zeke. He was as tall as Leah – with a creamy complexion and blue eyes. He had moved to Forks just eight months previously, and he and Leah had worked together at the same shop down at the rez. Leah just felt weird – she never imprinted, but she started having normal feelings for the hot guy, and then they just started dating like that. Oh…Sue was happy beyond wonder, and Jake and Seth were possibly crying with happiness at the turn her miserable life had taken. Sam was just easy about it – he didn't like the idea of Leah dating as such, because they guy by her hand wasn't exactly him, but he just shut up, because he knew that he had torn her apart in the first place.

Sam and Leah were followed by Quil and Embry and a tiny Clare and Colin and Brady and Jared and Paul and Rachel, all of whom had pent up energy and were here to help transport the food. Sam decided to carry out the large turnkey plus trimmings, which was encased in a cardboard box with a serving lid covering it. The rest of the people divided the food and aligned the responsibilities of carrying different things to each person. Soon enough, all the food was out of the house, and more was to come from Sue, Charlie and Billy. The Cullens and the wolves all ran, with ease, to the border line, near the rez, and they set the tables down – they reconstructed a decent picnic dining table, spread some tablecloth and candles, and set the food down.

Time passed, and soon enough, the table was surrounded by a lot of people, and the food was over the top and a hefty amount – Sue and Charlie had made a lot of stuff, and Billy had taken the trouble to make some dessert with the help of Rachel, who was rather good at cooking. The food looked feisty. There was Sam, Emily, Clare, Embry, Quil, Leah. Zeke, Seth., Lizzie, Sue, Charlie, Billy, Paul, Rachel, Jared, Jessica, Mike and their 3-month old daughter, Izzy; Angela and Ben, Mr. & Mrs. Newton, Mr. & Mrs. Stanley, the Cullens, and Jake.

The food glimmered in the moonlight as the lids were lifted – and then, everyone sat done, and devoured the food.

***

Tummies were full to burst like unopened or overstuffed bonbons at Christmas. Everyone was full, though the Cullens had refused to eat much – they all said they had a slight "thing" in the family, but the Cullens however did eat a little bit. They were capable of it, of course, and they had to excuse themselves after half an hour of eating to throw up the insoluble substances. But no one could deny that this was a wonderful party – a final reconnection with the outside world had cheered Bella up enormously, and in turn, cheered Edward up.

Laughter tinted the air – some of the uninvited residents had resolved to making their way down and joining the party.

It was alright, for everyone except the Cullens. Who had just noticed Alice's back go rigid?

She was having a vision, no escaping it. The Cullens gathered around her, slowly and unsuspicious. Jasper shook her slightly, and Edward, who could read her mind, had a weird look in his face – one where he knew who someone was in a way, but the name and position wasn't coming onto him exactly. But his eyes were still in delirium and wide.

Lizzie's eyes widened too and she used her power of understanding people to read Alice – and she too gasped a little and went rigid with what she saw.

"What is it?" Jasper whispered.

The Cullens hadn't forgotten that vision of the Volturi. What if this was another one?

Alice gasped. "Jasper, she knows you!"

"Who?" Jasper whispered.

"The woman in my vision," Alice said, her eyes gazing into Jasper's with a worried and burning intensity.

"No one knows me Alice – at least not the way you're talking about whoever she is."

"She's coming after you! She wants you!"

Sense…..sense was dawning….

"I know her. We all remember her. Jazz, what's happening? Why does she want you? You have nothing to do with her – we have already told her that she is forbidden from coming near us!!"

Lizzie interjected "She's a vampire…right?"

Alice nodded her eyes wide, at Lizzie. "But she's not a Volturi."

Lizzie calmed down a little – the worry that the Cullens had slightly suppressed was coming back, repeating itself…

Everyone was looking at Alice, and Edward interrupted the silence. "Oh she's had it," he whispered. "That moroness. The only thing she's getting from us is rejection."

"Who is?" Jasper said, with a funny feeling that he knew who she was.

Well then again, there was just one person who would want to buy Japer back – who would want to use him and his charisma and powers to her own advantage. A familiar face. She had to be lonely now – looking for a way to fight back, eager to get some sort of a weapon. And there was one person…one person who was…..

"Maria??" Jasper's voice rose in a sheering agony.

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**Yes, so Liz has evolved....**

**And we have Ezekiel introduced!! Yay Zekey!!!**

**Go to the shiny review but and go clicky!!**

**Love…**

**Ash (\/)**

**[yayyy!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEENU!!!]**


	11. Author Note :D

**Sad, depressing, but annoying.**

**Yes, I have not updated for a darn century - for those of you nice enough to read my story. I mean to say sorry for all those people clamouring for the story, who have displayed so by reviewing ( though this is as equally dedicated to all the passive readers who still like my story :D ). Sorry why? How stupid I sound saying "sorry why". The reason is, I'm nearing the final quarter of my 9th grade school year, before the exams, so I will not be able to visit my fave site in the world. Stupid, I know. I'm also having terminal Writer's Block as as of now, I gotta focus my creative juices for my Englkish narrative coursework which shall be sent to Cambridge.**

**So I shall be lying dormant for a lil while, but the end of term holiday are nearing, so there is a ray of sunshine...**

**Sorry. Really, I am. But truth be told, I'm gonna rest a bit. I need to rest. When I'm not embersed in studies, I'm . Or usually socializing. But for all those who like my stuff, feel free the let the words flow on my forum - Cookies Plus Soda Equals Awesome Hyperness. I'm getting a little lonely up there, even though I have six friends on there, who now hardly come on to talk.**

**Be the boredom eradicator!! Come to my lil tavern and CHAT AWAY!!**

**You'll hear me say..."is it a bird? is it a man? is it a plane? NO!! It's...*insert your name here*(wo)man!!!!!!"**

**So bye, before I leave for camps, somewhere called Rajghad, in Himachal Pradesh, India. Near Himalayas, for the dumb ones :D. HOPE ITS FUNNNN!!!**

**Luv, Ash.**


	12. 11 The Fall of the Quileute Brothers

**Here's the next chapter, and i HOPE its fine, because I actually managed to find time to attempt another. This is where the story really begins....the climax.**

**Dedicated to : A is for Angel**

**OMG 1138 hits and only 36 reviews??? Come ON.**

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Bella POV

Maria, Maria, Maria – the name just kept on ringing in my mind. It had been two days since the epic dinner where I had fun socializing, two days in which that one name, using the phrase properly here, deprived me of my sleep. Edward was more stone-like than ever; apparently, Jasper had more fear of Maria than he did of the Volturi, which I found very difficult indeed. What was Maria really like? That year when Jasper had carefully recited his long life with Maria, I didn't fish much out of that shallow pond – I just looked at the surface, blanched, and then went back to pasting my attention on Edward. But now that I saw how Alice and Jasper held hands – with that urgent need to live, to survive, to love each other until someone tore them apart, I could only fathom the peril she could place upon us.

And not only me, but I, being a stubborn yet caring one at heart – couldn't bear to have someone so risky here threatening my friends, the werewolves, and the humans – not to mention Sue, Charlie, Billy and Clare and Rachel…

I got up after a while, unable to hold in the urge to see Edward. I decided to run my life to get back to the Cullens, and so I ran, unable to feel the sharp slashing effect the wind would have on normal people running as fast as me.

I got to the Cullens in now time, and they were all sitting, looking nowhere in particular. Their manner of sitting brought back a blurry memory n my mind – the one when I saw the Cullens for the first time, staring in random directions just like this. How I would treasure that day…

Edward smiled as I came in and budged up to make some room for me. I sat beside him and he held my hand, and we hugged each other. It was as if everytime he touched me, a shock would spark, and then I would feel the human drain out of me. It was as if every look he gave me just drove us madder in love. It created a feeling that if someone from someplace else would be watching us, they would definitely call our love overdone and over-the-top. But I thought this was love to its truest extent.

The room was emptier than usual, I noticed. The stench was slightly less. I turned my head around, and saw Lizzie clambered onto the window, her lean and attractive figure taut and nervous. Her red hair fell down her back with lustre, and both her hands were placed flat against the window letting in the pitch black scene from outside. I could see the tendons stand out in her palms, I could see her chest rising and falling with breath. She was extremely nervous. This was the first time I had seen her away from Seth. This struck me odd.

"Where are the wolves?" I asked them.

Edward turned to look at me and said in a low voice, "They took up the responsibility; they are going to monitor the perimeter and take runs every night now – Maria seems to be getting clearer and clearer in Alice's visions."

That explained Lizzie.

"This is horrible – of all the vampires in the world, she has to attack us."

"Well, I guess it has something to do with Jasper…" Alice looked uncomfortably at him.

"But if I only knew why she'd come for me!" Jasper whined in frustration. "We told her, last time, to stay away from us – that we didn't want to meddle in her stupid affairs, but she just won't listen."

"She could be after you for help," Carlisle said, thoughtfully.

"But why him?" I asked.

"Maybe Jasper is the only one she has left. Maybe Jasper is the only comrade from her past that she can track and use – after all, he was one of her most treasured warriors."

"But why does she need him? If she wants to raise an army again, she'll be pummelled by the Volturi."

"Or maybe she is in trouble with the Volturi, which is why she either seeks out refuge, or wants someone she knows to give testimony."

"But Peter? Charlotte? Any of the others?"

"She knew Peter didn't approve of her. She also knows that Jasper is one of her longest remaining, best warriors – one who would forever be in her debt or someone she could have counted on to weasel her out of trouble."

"I dunno what she is thinking. I'm definitely not helping her out of anything, I'll tell you." Jasper seemed very upset indeed.

"Why did Maria even want to start an army?" The imminent confusion ran in every word.

"Well," said Jasper. He was probably the best bet to predicting anything Maria would do, or wanted, as he had stayed with her the longest. "It started off when Maria ran away from home when her parents refused her – when Maria was bitten. She turned her parents into vampires as well, on accident. She wanted to prove to them that it was all for the best, and that she was worth something. I think she then discovered one day that her parents had been chosen by Volturi, and she hadn't. And to show that she had talent, Maria raised an army of her own for revenge. She wanted to have a slice of power to show the world she meant something, but the institution she was hoping would take her in didn't, and she set out to prove the power of free will was better than any petty rule."

"And the Volturi didn't like that?"

"No. They hated being downgraded. But in the end, at a certain point, Maria did have an advantage – her army was greater than the Volturi. Which is exactly what made them come after her, and then all that escaping….."

"She's coming back to us, though. I keep seeing the image getting clearer in my head," Alice whined. "But whenever I see that she's real close, the vision just disappears. I'm guessing werewolves, but its any man's guess now…."

***

The days were never different – the same tension solidified in the room. Every day passing made us more worried. Lizzie was over her head looking out. The werewolves were on patrols 24/7 and she was dead worried about Seth. We never went out to hunt anymore, just in case.

And each day made Alice worry twice as much – the visions lost their haze. Each day the trauma with which she looked at Jasper solidified. I myself was worried about Edward's odd behaviour; he spent half his time at the piano, lost deep in his own thoughts.

It was a dull, dim atmosphere. I had never seen Emmett especially lie so low. The house hardly gave any sound, except for the occasional breaths of Renesmee and Lizzie – Renesmee too was tense at Jacob's disappearance, but she wasn't as nervous as Lizzie – at least she had faith in her life partner.

Time just whirred by. You could stare at the wall thinking about nothing.

Silence.

Lizzie relieved her hand from the window, only to put it back. She had sensed something. Her nose was sharper, her mind more electric. A whimper freed from her throat.

"What?" Edward whispered.

Lizzie was still, her face in the most devastated expression you could ever see – that hopeless dead look, teamed up with a face so worried, it would take years for the pain to go.

Edward could read her mind after all, and when he did, he got up immediately. Alice did too – her face blank one moment, and the next: the same as Lizzie's.

"The wolves. Maria."

And I too strained my ears to listen.

Among the bubbly air and the night crickets, I could also here faraway muffled yowls, a small commotion, and the stealth of a vampire. Very, very soft. But the yowls gave me chills.

Lizzie sensed something else. She whined, and she burst out of the door at top speed and skidded to a stop, and took a moment to smell the fresh air….

Then another moment passed, and her both shrunk and elongated; she seemed to transform with her will – a calm metamorphosis. Her nose grew bigger, her back hunched, her arms elongating. Her abdomen grew larger and her limbs fatter; a sienna colour hair started to protrude from every inch of her body, two inched long, and her hair just seemed to spread wider over her tall frame. She had changed.

With a huff and another whine, she ran.

"NO!" Edward lunged at her, stopping her in her tracks.

With another twist, she transformed to her self, fully clothed and all, her expression unfathomable.

"Seth is out there," she whispered. "We have to go."

"Maria is there too. Let them deal with it." Jasper's voice was quick and harsh.

"You don't understand. She's got an army with her. They're not winning."

***

We glided through the forest silently.

Edward and Jasper had made us wait, the latter and Emmett were having a difficult time indeed holding Lizzie back; she was as strong as the two combined. The number of yowls had increased magically, and the smell of pungent, aromatic smoke scented the air, signifying fallen vampires. But when we had heard the silence thicken, the noise die….Lizzie's fears infected our mind.

We ran.

The aroma got thicker, and soon, we all clashed into a clearing with uprooted trees, blood spattering the floor, and claw marks coating tree trunks.

Lizzie, fearing the worst, seeked out a different smell and clambered through the trees, and we hurried after her.

My empty ribcage never felt like this before – so melted and worried and hot. I watched Lizzie run on – her legs whipped by to the speed of sound, and she zipped by, leaving behind a clattered trail.

And we skid to a halt at the edge of the mountain, which ended at the limestone cliff, the deathly depths of which were clouded by dark water. I gasped, because the sound suddenly met my ears, and I huffed. I could distinguish Jacob's very well – and so could Renesmee. I didn't know what to do.

Because in front of me, far away, was the dark silhouette of that cliff I once jumped off – set up against the large moon hanging low in the violet night sky.

And on the cliff, I could see the silhouette of four slender, agile bodies, standing upright and fighting – the tallest of which was a long haired wild woman, her hair streaming about. Around them, clearly hurt, were the limping bodies of a pack of large dogs – still a large number.

But the small vampire clan of four just wiped them out with simple pushed – just one nudge and two of the smaller wolves went catapulting down the cliff in slow motion – their fur rippling and their silhouette ghostly. A large brawny vampire just kicked off three more, and in another shot, the four united and in a simple power slam, sent the rest of the large dog-like pack racing into the depths of the cliff….

I screamed out loud, and Edward quickly covered my mouth before sound could escape; I could hear Jacob's howl fade…

The pain I felt was nothing compared to how Lizzie was shaking in front of me.

I watched with wide eyes as the bodies that were sent down crashed against the halfway mark of a giant stone jutting down in the middle of the cliff, yowl and fall further; but the most terrifying ordeal was when the four vampires leapt in the air, and with a somersault landed on the wolves – one to each. The force sent each poor wolf howling and flailing down at a greater speed, and then hopped back off, into the water.

The four wolves, on whom the vampires had landed, sped down in a blur, taking along other poor silhouettes, and with a crash, landed headfirst on a conglomerate patch of boulders, huge and eternal, and then rolled lamely into the dark, murky waters of the night.

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**Well,review and tell me what you think of this new twist.**

**Luv**

**Ash**


	13. 12 In Forgotten Love

**W.O.W**

**I HAVE SO MANY REVIEWS SINCE LAST TIME!! awwww i wuv u guys. Well for now, Fairytale Twilight: Cinderella is getting all the attention and I'm perfectly happy with that. I do like to write this more though. Compared to now, the writing before seems pathetic =D but i wuv this!! THIS CHAPTER IS COOL!!!**

**Dedication: Xx - Ashley Greene - Xx you better not be fakin that identity Ashley, cuz i actually believe you're...her!!**

**I WROTE SONGS~~ theyre cool songs.**

**well, tata and have fun readin!**

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The moon was larger than Venus in the black-violet skies, its white light bright, but daring to reflect off the surfaces of the deep. The water was still and black, darker than ink. The conglomerate boulders, chalky and dirty in daylight, were now dark and dangerous, only now there was an addition to their décor – red spatters of blood.

No one dared to blink. Nobody. Alice was gobsmacked, staring. Renesmee was still, her face betraying no emotion; I knew she was trying to keep a straight face. She knew she couldn't afford to add to my misery with her devastated expression. I would have allowed Renesmee to feel what she wanted to feel, but if I had, Renesmee, by now, would be screaming.

As I thought this, glancing briefly at her, I could see her breath halt, her eyes redden, and an anguished tear fall miserably from her eyes, which were glazed, the moonlight creeping over them. A still breeze rummaged through the hill for light leaves, whipping our hair around our faces.

He silence shattered; Lizzie crumpled to the ground with her hand held out, unknowing that she was at the edge of another cliff and that falling would mean death; unconscious of her surroundings, her mouth screamed a painful "No" of mirth – her scream was shrill, like nails scratching down metal, and without a thought, she stepped forward.

Carlisle and Esme, the closest to her, also took a step forward, but only to grasp her by the waist, her frame shuddering in might, and she was moaning, shaking in irreversible sobs, her throat constricting and allowing only the most strangled of sobs through.

Carlisle and Esme pulled her back a little, and she snapped to her sense.

"No!" she whispered.

"NO!" she yelled.

And there she went, as soon as Carlisle and Esme had let go of her. She stopped, pausing to allow two tears, and she ran forward, and jumped off our cliff, spread-eagled in the air, and she retained a diver's form, and plunged downwards.

We scrambled over the edge, watching her streamline downward, and she whistled through the thick air. Her slim body was getting smaller; it was not as high compared to the other cliff, but it was high enough to kill her.

Not a second had passed, until Carlisle, right after she had jumped, had gasped and followed her down.

"Carlisle!" yelled Edward, taking off his shirt and diving down to follow his foster father.

Emmett too followed his lead and he too took of his frilly shirt, ripping it apart and chucking it behind him, squatting, and then sprang like a professional to follow his brother.

Renesmee's eyes burned in her sockets, and just a split second after Emmett had jumped, she too went down to retrieve her beloved Jacob-

"Nessie!" Rosalie and I screamed at the same time, unable to grasp the trails of her cocktail dress as he tumbled down; both of us then did the unthinkable, we followed her, holding hands, and whipped through the air, down, down, down….

Lizzie POV

I zipped down, the wind howling in my ear, but the only sound echoing around my mind was the one of my soul mate – the one of Seth. I could feel his pain as he sank deeper, his head smarting and his memories jumbled. I could also see the look in his eyes, in my mind, his irises widening in pain and his skin paling with the moon…and the hurt that the same look echoed the hurt in my heart, and I prepared for the cold water, I prepared to make contact with it; my hands were smacked together in front of me, my dress whipping with velocity-

Until my fingertips made contact with ice-cold water.

A moment ago, where the wind was whistling like a spoilt boy while bored had in my ear, the water now cottoned the sound, a deep rush like the thrumming of a heart. I could feel a slight sting of the still water, now disturbed by my dive. I lost the feeling in my legs and hands, my face felt hot in the cold water…

Until Seth's yowl popped up in my mind, and I regained all feeling- I bobbed to the surface and I started to swim in a harried butterfly stroke towards the towering cliff, the patch of conglomerate rocks smelling strongly of blood….

I had to breathe, hence my choice of the butterfly stroke; plus it was faster, what with my strength. Behind me, I could hear the splashes of other people, making slapping contact with the inky water but I couldn't care less; beside me, far away where the cliffs met to make the Forks coast, I could see blurred figures running at the speed I was swimming; possibly Alice and Jasper, and Esme. The rushing behind me was marred with small sighs, panting, calling my name – the water simply entered his mouth each time he attempted to talk.

My goal was ahead and he conglomerate batch of rocks shifted ever closer, until my speed was too big, so I paused, my feet resting, and I waved my hand to keep on the surface.

Seth….my life….my soul….my love….

I dived again, without thinking.

My eyes opened to reveal the coloured depths of the water, darkening with every blink, their indecipherable pits possibly swimming with predators. I raked my line of vision-

A trail of blood was dispersing in water; I could smell it, and with a spurt of energy, I swam further down-

Bodies. There were human bodies trailing down and down and down…

I could make out Lizzie's hair fan out, I could see Jacob's lengthy black tresses disperse too; Sam's leg glinted from somewhere, Colin's prominent nose blurring out of sight; lips representing Seth's…..

Bubbles blew from my mouth and I swam further down, the vampires at my heel….

I grabbed Seth by the waist; his skin was still warm in the water and touching him was like being back in paradise; only it heightened my consciousness of him; he was crippled even in the weightless water – his eyes closed, a gash on his head bleeding profusely, his blood diffusing all the way into the water….Leah's hair on his face a tad bit…

I hitched him under my arm safely, my limb securely around his midriff. I was never selfish, so I grabbed the body nearest to me – Leah – and piled her over my shoulder, where she slung down and weighed me downwards even more. I also saw Sam's figure nearby, so I grabbed his leg with my free arm, hitching him under my other arm, and lastly, I grabbed Brady, who was sinking down by my hand, and moved my feet, instantly swimming up and up, where I could see all the Cullens looking at the expression in my eye, following my lead….

I broke the surface and the cool air froze my face, I panted and panted, and kicked my feet, propelling myself to a flat set of conglomerate rocks, dying for them to get nearer and nearer….

Exhaustion would describe my emotion, but physically, I was determined to get them somewhere where I could see if they were alive… begging God did no good….nearer…nearer….

I finally found ground under my foot…deep down, but I stepped on it…and walked along the reachable line of nature rocks and shore coast granite boulders until I arrived at the flat clearing, right beneath the cliff, and I heaved the figures on me onto the rock…

With one shaking arm, I placed Seth gently on to the rock; and now with one arm at least being free, I heaved Sam onto the surface, and then Brady. Finally, I placed Leah down on the rock too, and perched higher up, panting and coughing, staggering to my limits beside Seth, my chest heaving up and down…

The vampires defiantly arrived and placed the rest of the bodies by my side, the slushy thuds resounded slightly off the rocks and I sighed, coughing up water.

I breathed in and out, my pants harsh, mixed with sobs and I moaned – the combination made weird sounds come out of my mouth.

I could feel Seth's hot skin next to me…he was completely wiped. It gave me the strength to stand up and roll over, my hair sopping, over him…

"Seth…."

"Seth…."

I rolled over, sat up, and hurried to examine him-

All the bodies we had brought were naked – scattered cloth held their dignities together; evidently they had changed into their wolf form in a hurry. Leah, the only girl there, had her too-loose dress she always put on before transforming so she wouldn't have to worry about clothing was still intact – wet and sopping but covering her up. Seth had his loose shorts on – a little ripped from the side, but otherwise alright.

A brief assessment and I kneeled at Seth's waist; immediately, I put my knees either side of his pelvis, my groin near his, and I sat down. His muscular cheat was bare and perfect – I placed my hands immediately on his chest and started to pump-

I pumped and pumped and pumped, CPR, pumped and pumped and pumped. He wouldn't wake up.

I had faith in his – he wasn't going to die, he wasn't going to die….

But he wasn't moving. His bones, I could feel them, they were broken in places and my heart pierced itself….

I pumped even more – the only sign of life was his incredibly slow heartbeat and his slightly mending gash that bled profusely over his head…

I could here other attempts at CPR around me; the vampires were careful enough not to have their teeth make contact with the wolves' skin, or to pump too hard with the fear of breaking their bones further-

Sobs trailed down my face and into my overhanging hair as I pumped, pumped, pumped –

"We have to do something!" I cried. "Anything to keep them alive!"

"Carry them back to our place everyone!" Edward yelled, picking Sam up and heaving him over his shoulder. "We have to look at them there Carlisle."

Carlisle nodded, glancing at my shattered face. I sobbed as I got off Seth. I picked Lizzie up, carrying her in a fireman's lift that matched Edward's, and then gently hauled Seth into my arms, carrying him like a husband carrying his wife over the threshold. I stroked his hair, his innocent kid expression, and wished with my heart, for my sake and the sake of his sister and mother, that he would be ok.

I walked, climbing over rocks and small barnacles, and hiked up the side of the hill where there was a backpackers' trail. We thrashed up through the jungle, no body left behind, and when we had climbed the steep bit, I started to run, everyone following my lead.

My feet were alive; they were pushing the ground behind me and I was running for the lives of two people-

The cold wind smacked my face, but I didn't flinch from it – I could feel it warming up, I could feel my vampire self allow me to have the advantage-

We ran, dodging trees, and we sprinted up to the halfway mark, where we found the road-

A massive Jeep glinted in he moonlight at our arrival, its headlights on, with Esme's caramel hair whipping with the wind as she stoop still, leaning over the windshield-

"Thank goodness!" her sigh of relief was shaking with unimaginable, tearless sobs, and she leaned over the massive gates to help – Bella and Rosalie handing her their load as she set them down gently onto the seat-

All of us climbed aboard, and we set out to find space for everyone – Alice budged up at the front to sit on Jasper's lap; Carlisle squeezed in next to them, Esme on him, and then followed Rosalie and Emmett, the former being hugged by Esme, and the latter shifted her up so he could sit at the steering wheel.

Thank god for convertible.

There were two more rows of seats – Emmett's choice for space and a 4 wheeler was dire. Edward carried Sam over to the extreme left of the middle row of seats and placed him comfortably there. He then laid Colin, Jared and Paul respectively beside him, all squeezed together but in proper, dignified manner.

Last of all, climbed over the middle row to the utmost back, a giant spare wheel protruding, and the convertible cover right behind me. The row in front of us had been filled with unconscious bodies, and the row we were on too. Renesmee was huddled with her parents, sobbing her heart out, clutching Jacob. She kissed him on the head and then ruffled his hair slightly.

I watched her cuddle up to Jacob and I looked down at my Seth. I was sitting on the convertible covers, there being no space for me, with Seth lying across my lap. His face was too blank for me to know anything. I love him so much, but after seeing him fall from that cliff, for the safety of many, I felt prouder of him than ever – once, where I must have had suffered from jealousy because some actor I loved had hooked up with some other celebrity, I now felt that kind of a crush pointless, because around my boyish Seth, I never experienced that mature sort of "love" Bella and Edward were always talking about. I felt that "crush" around him – like a boy I was dying to have and impress, even after he was mine for good. I always felt the electricity of a young, teenage girl kind of love with him, sexual tension, and my heart would pop out and I'd feel the shock of pleasure spike my body as I'd die to go to his young frame and hug him to no limits. We loved each other, we really did, but being so young in our likes, we seemed so…novice, when the fact was that we could last years with a teenage impression and never fall apart, or get bored of it. Seth was so…young. I was so… young. Being young in love felt like the world was given to us both, and I'd still see him in the same light when we'd be sixty or something. And now, him unconscious on me, my crush-y love was in shock, and something else was surfacing, a worry, a pledge for his safety, along with a strange kind of…loss of bond…

Emmett thundered his way through the wilderness, and we were blurring past – it was 12 on dot midnight, and we leapt out of the jeep, halting at home. We all took bodies inside and laid them down wherever we could find room…sofas, floor, couch…

I deftly laid Seth and Leah down on the singles couch, and they slept peacefully, while I staggered to a stop at their feet, and my head on Seth's lap, I fell asleep immediately.

Movement stirred me awake – my eyes opened quickly as I felt disturbance at my head. I had slept so hard and well, my senses had been snuffed for the time I had. I blinked in confusion, the memories of last night imprinted well in my head. I scrambled to my feet when gentle warm hands pushed my head, and I tumbled down. There was plenty of noise around me…

I got up, hurt at why Seth had just pushed me off his lap and onto the floor. I flicked dust off my dress and straightened my hair, and yells of "What did you do that for" coloured the air.

I looked up, surprised at Seth's movement and met hius gaze straight into his eyes, expecting the same purity I had seen in the depths of them every time our gazes met.

But I was staring into the eyes of a Seth who looked at me as if he couldn't recognize me one little bit.

He gazed at me, his top lip rising in confusion and disgust, and his eyes were relaxed and empty…strangely empty.

"Will somebody tell me what's going on? And why is there some red-haired freak who was sleeping on me last night?"

Carlisle looked at me beseechingly, telling me to not make a scene and go bust at Seth. What was up with Seth? Didn't he recognize me? At that moment, I myself felt a loss of bond again, and I had lost some of that warm feeling in my heart. What was happening?

Seth looked around, disgusted. "Where am I? What's going on? And why was she sleeping on me? And why too was some strange girl sleeping on the couch with me? Am I in some sort of brothel or something?"

I was just…..

…..

…

Confused.

Carlisle picked me up and he stroked my hair as I looked, hurt, at Seth.

"I'm sorry Lizzie," he whispered.

Sorry for what?

"They've all lost their memories. See, that crack on the hea-"

He stopped as soon as he saw my expression.

I turned around to take in my surroundings.

The Quileute members were all confused at why they were there, and they all looked really perplexed.

I gulped. Renesmee was undergoing a similar speech by Jacob, who looked baffled at why he was semi naked and with Renesmee.

They had all lost their memories-

And Seth didn't remember me.

He couldn't remember his imprint. This was the loss of bond…?

A hollowing stirred my stomach. I felt queasy.

_Seth didn't love me anymore._

* * *

**OOOOH spookayyyyyy innit?? What do you think happened? Review to tell me s'il vous play**

**and Little Baybeeeeeeeeeee: yes, i speak french. I perfectly got your french review~~ yay me!!! Lol, je parle le francais aussi, mais je suis indienne. J'aime le Twilight!!!! ROBERT PATTINSON EST L'AMOUR DE MA VIE!!!**

**well thanks. **

**Ash...**


	14. 13 A Thing of the Past

**Oh God, my exams are on, hence the slow update :) I did this with a risk in mind, but I have french paper 4 anyways so whatever. NOTE: Oh my god, Daddy's Little Cannibal is no more! The poor, poor woman - she was a truly gifted writer with one of the best bunches of talent I myself have known!!**

**So yeah. Exams. Forgive.**

Lizzie's POV.

Shock. Horror. Disbelief. Dismay. Grief. Sorrow. Terror.

The emotions pooled around my head for the following week and I was struck badly in my heart – I didn't even know what to say.

There was a good side to the story, I thought, sitting dejectedly at the window of my own house. At least I had lost my imprint-bond with him, so now I was free to mope and wail, but wasn't condemned to jump off a cliff.

But that's exactly what I wanted to do. To jump off a cliff. To end my life because there was no point in living it sans a goal anymore.

It wasn't like my life was brilliant anyways.

The birds out of the window chirped merrily, placing twigs lovingly on their nest together, every so often their beaks touching and a purring sound grumbling from the birds' throats. Next year, their beaks would touch again while feeding worms and crickets to their happily chirping litter.

I sniffled slightly, wondering how amnesia was reversible – if it was possible, I'd like it to revert so I could get Seth back. My first love was him only, and it was true. That was the reason I never liked any of the guys I dated – they were all….bleh. I never felt the truest, rawest emotion around them. The only truest, rawest thing I did feel for them was disgust.

Feeling free of that intense bond, I wanted to roam again, to wander again, and to discover the world again. With Seth in my life, I wandered right into the walls of love each time I saw him, or heard anything to do with him.

Jumping off my precarious position on the silver windowsill, I perched on the study desk and leap off, landing gracefully on the floor. My feet hurt slightly from not crouching while landing. Ouch. I guess Seth had taken with him my will to stay as a vampire-wolf. I had the blood, but not the discovery.

In a short while, I found myself sitting on the swings, swaying gently, my hands intertwined with the chains as I stared at the children playing with unfocused eyes; my eyes were there, but my mind was picking up on the silent rays of sun that sparked off the evening mildewed blades of green grass, the rustle of fabric echoing off the lady rolling a stroller over the pathway, and of the kinetic speed of the joyous football stuttering to sharp stops on colliding with the tiny boys' feet.

Then my eyes wandered to the thought of the sky – the blue stretch of nothingness, occasionally showing signs of bunny-shaped white clouds or a rare arrowhead of birds flying free. What lay behind that blue stretch? What dimension lay there, yet to be discovered?

A blur ruined my chain of thoughts; a figure appeared on the swing swinging antisocially beside me; the chains and leather seating groaned under the weight. I didn't give much thought to seeing who it was. I couldn't care less. It was much better being a sociopath that being social these days.

"Hey, Liz."

The voice was a magnet – the same sweet warm voice spoke to me from long back, and it surprised me so that my head cricked on its way to look at him.

I drank in the sight of him – after a solid two years he was seeing me again. His brown eyes had changed slightly – the skin around them was now smooth and peachy, as flawless and soft as can get. His lashes were longer, fringing his eyes attractively, suiting his rosebud lips, manly and smirking, peach coloured skin, and smooth, framed by unruly, messy lock of honey-blond hair that fanned out by his face. He looked so unbelievably…new.

"Remember me?"

He stared at my non-womanly gawk and smiled, understanding the glare I gave him.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I've changed drastically."

"Is that even your hair??" I gasped. "Is that really Ethan's crew-cut-blond hair that made him look like a nerdy missionary??"

"I'll take that as a compliment, Liz." His face faltered as he assessed me. "My, my, have you changed."

"Well, when people detect the changes I've undergone," I frowned. "They usually smile and congratulate me. Is….is anything wrong now?" I was nervous asking him that, but then again – Ethan, my darling Ethan, had the ability to bring out the real me.

"No," he smiled uncertainly. "It's just that pale skin doesn't exactly your type."

"I know. What can you do? It's Forks." He laughed at my bleak attempt at humour.

"But there is one thing I can't deny, Liz," he smiled promiscuously. "Two years ago," he proceeded to play with a strand of my waist-long red hair, "two years ago I believed you were really, really hot. Seeing you now, the change is startling. Now, you're only too sexy."

I blushed and giggled my trademark giggle – my cheek muscles hurt from how long I had not smiled.

"The feeling's mutual, Ethan."

"You think so??" His face lit up like a star on top of a Christmas tree on Christmas.

I ruffled a bit of his hair. "Two years ago, nobody understood the love I had for you for who you were – they judged you from your inerasable acne, your hairstyle, your braces, your stance and fashions sense. But I liked you anyways. Now, you're gorgeous inside and out."

He smiled, taking my hand in his. The new Ethan's confidence surprised me.

"Where have you been?" I asked him, curious ever since he left us long back, failing to mention the cause."

"My family and I moved up north, and we met another family. Struck a close friendship. Whatever I'm studying has got to do with them."

"So how come you cam here?"

"There's another family like them, they told me. They're both different. I'm here to study them."

"I know a lot of different families," I smiled, the thought of the Cullens playing in my mind.

"Vous m'introducez d'eux."

"I hate French!! Never…ever! Gah!!" I acted paranoid. He always tagged my flaws, always – and French was one of them.

He laughed openly and smiled at me. His face just displayed so much unrefined emotion that a familiar blush was going to appear on my face – Bella was rubbing out on me.

"What?" I stared at him.

"You know. Us. Those days at the beach. The mall."

I smiled, thinking the same as him on the note. I remembered how good we were together. Should Seth have not entered my life, Ethan would probably the closest thing I had experienced for true love.

"It was nice seeing you here. What happened to you though? Why so silent? When I left, you were hell bubbly." He gazed at my face in interest.

"Well you know…." I hesitated, "stuff. People happen, and then this and then that and then change and then a lot of other unpleasant things."

He smiled even more at that: what was up with him? He hardly ever smiled like this before. It was creepy, this new Ethan.

"Well," he shifted his swing to the side so it jolted mine, and my legs left their firm stand on the floor. "Tell me about it."

I didn't want to, not at all. How could I tell him about Seth? How could I tell him about the very thing I was going to do my hardest to forget?

"You met someone?"

I nodded, interiorly impressed at his accuracy.

"You guys went out?"

"Sort of."

"He liked you at first?"

"Mutually."

"He dumped you?"

I paused. "No."

"He forgot about you? Fell apart?"

Another pause. "You're almost there."

"It's not something far fetched like amnesia, is it now?"

I pursed my lips and turned my head back to the kids eagerly playing football. He understood, a strange look spreading over his face.

"How weird," he commenced. "The family I'm going to told me to delay my visit due to memory-related quandaries.

"You're right," I frowned. "That is weird."

"Is he a Quileute by any chance?"

I stared long and hard at his blank face, as he tried to force an answer out of me. I could only imagine what I looked like, my red hair still in the air, my eyebrows turned down slightly, my eyes flashing with something painful, and my mouth impassive and firmly set. I didn't know what he saw in my face that made him say that, and that guess was just too close.

"Ethan," I asked; my voice came out stern. "Where up north did you go?"

His brow puckered at the change in subject. "Ma took us to Denali; she had some friends there she said might help me learn history, or just take care of us generally."

My heart faltered for a moment and then sped right back up.

"Tanya and Kate?"

"Yeah…" he smiled. "Tanya. She was totally checking me out," he grinned. "You know them?"

"We're close."

"Really? I never knew. They didn't mention you for one thing."

"They've come…" I vaguely let out.

"Well, I think I should get going….." he formlessly muttered. He got up from the swings and stood up. My, my – his muscles! Had he been working out at the gym? And the way those jeans folded around him so perfectly!! Ethan, oh boy!

I was surprised at my reaction and I couldn't help but stare at how much he had changed. It was just….just….

He started to walk away when I realized he had neither said goodbye nor allowed me to follow him. I sprinted to him, faltering slightly at the base of the slide, and I caught up to him in a trice.

"E!" I yelled. "Can I come with you?"

A strange look shadowed his dark, mysterious visage. It almost looked like regret, anger, and secrecy as a whole. I couldn't sieve his expression well, yet the look scared me.

"It's better if you don't come, Liz. No, I'm sorry – it's the only way I can survive knowing I brought no harm on you."

With that, he turned around and walked away.

I stood, frowning, when I decided to follow him anyways, in my wolf form.

Looking around, I ran hastily into the woods, and once under the cover of the thick canopy of the forest, I quivered in false anger and transformed to my truest state – wolf-girl.

It felt great to feel my fur again; to know that I was me for the first time in a long while, and I wasn't bound by the thoughts of my pack. My legs stretched to their fullest and my feet were curved in the most relaxing of all stretching positions. My back and behind felt superb and fit; it was bliss to extend myself again.

I sniffed once and the strong human smell of Ethan's (plus, is that cologne?) wafted towards me, and I paused, prowled, and leapt into the air to start running.

I ran too fast, obviously, but the positive point was that I could prowl now, and my feet made no sound against the crackling ground. Ethan heard nothing while I stalked him silently, wolf-like.

Then I got an idea when my foot accidentally crunched on a leaf. What if I used the trees?

With a pounce like a cat's, I leapt high in the air to place myself comfortable on the mossy ferns of the tree-embossed path, with the tiny goat path in the middle for walking on. I decreased my size whilst leaping; the last thing on my wish list was to break a branch with my wolf-weight. The trees favoured me though; I was silent and creeping on the trees, leaping gracefully from branch to branch and arching myself over and out; I blended in well with the burnt red tree trunks. Ethan failed to see me, though once or twice, he uncannily happened to turn around to where I had been crouching just a second back.

In five minutes, I found him deep in the woods, and heading towards the one house that was centred so out of Forks. The white building loomed in the background and his facial expression changed to one of accomplishment as he caught sight of it, and then started to trot gently towards it.

And he entered the Cullens' house.

In the second that passed, I could only hear my heartbeat.

Lubb-lubb.

Another heartbeat, quite close by paralyzed my senses and I almost fell; immediately, I turned back into a human and seeked out the source-

And I saw Renesmee, tear streaked face blotched with black marks, her head in her lap, bawling silently.

I leapt beside her and she raised her face slightly, only to grasp me in a half nelson that really, really hurt – a hug.

"What happened Nessie?" I stroked her quivering hair. "It's not Jake again is it?"

The last thing I wanted as the new troublemaker's gang was anyone Quileute.

She sniffled and cried so much, her blubbered words contained little comprehension.

"Repeat?" I asked.

"H-he, th-th-the crisis…..y-you go ch-check it out y-y-y-yourself!!" she stammered, and the subject of the situation was too much for her, so she broke into tears again.

"Come with me," I whispered.

"I don't want to see their faces again! Ever!" She sobbed helplessly.

It pained for me to leave her like that – broken and burnt, but she wanted me to go see what new was happening. Though I had vowed never to enter the vampires' house ever again, I went in, a deep breath in my lungs.

I had walked in on mayhem.

Emmett was crouched, facing a forlorn Jacob who was staring at Rosalie, and Edward held his hands behind his back, so Jake was unable to move. Rosalie held onto Emmet.

Ethan and Carlisle were talking, but Carlisle was too busy staring at the Emmett-Jake scene to pay any attention. Esme was sobbing and Bella just lay helpless as a doll on the sofa, looking at the warring parties.

"You bastard! Look away now! Don't you DARE come near her!"

Jacob, about to retort, let out only a throaty sound before Edward slapped his hands over his mouth.

"What's happening?!?!" I yelled, and Jacob looked at me with no interest, the rest as surprised, and Seth and his sister's eyes narrowing.

"Liz???" Exclaimed Ethan. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"She's a family friend," Carlisle added. "Long story."

"What is happening?? Bella!" I went to her and asked her.

Carlisle answered for me. "Amnesia is a sever case, Lizzie. We are just going through its after effects.

"But what's up with Em and Jake?"

Carlisle hesitated. "Reimprintation."

"What?" Ethan and I exclaimed together.

Carlisle shook his head again, in disgust this time. "Their loss of memory made them lose all knowledge except basic blocks of life."

"Yeah, we figured," I said.

"Jake is just showing us how sever it is."

"What's wrong?" I asked again. "Has he forgotten how to talk or something?"

Emmett yelled between his wife's sharp clutches. "He's a woman-stealer, that's what he is!"

It dawned.

"You said Reimprintation, Carlisle!" I said, hysteria colouring my voice. "He hasn't – he wouldn't-"

And yet it was only too true. Between the glare he gave Emmett, there was no denying that the way he looked at Rosalie was one of a butterfly finding home ground and a field of buttercups for the first time in its life. Jake's face of rage transformed to one of a lost-love as he turned to look at Rose.

Jacob….our Jacob…..had reimprinted on Rosalie. Rosalie Hale. Our Rosalie Hale.

**HAHA - HOW DID YOU LIKE THE SWEET SURPIRSE? I hope you liked it. Oh its a thing I've tried not to let out for sooo long ever since I discussed it with Shyesteh!!**

**THE LAST OLYMPIAN - 5TH BOOK OF PERCY JACKSON - CAME OUT IN INDIA AND I AM SOOOOOO GETTING IT!! CHCK OUT MY PERCY J FIC AS WELL!!! I LOVE PERCY J!!**

AND HAPPY LATE BDAY RPATZZ!

Ash


	15. 14 A Blood Red Rose

**Readers-**

**I owe a part of my writing ideas from hereon to a special friend from Shelfari called 'Remi'. Thanks Remi for enlightening me - where I thought I was stuck thanks to the ideas [or the lack thereof] you made me ask myself the question you were asking me, and I found myself answering them just in the format for a good chapter.**

**Here, we shall know that I love Rosalie a LOT and protect her :D get past me, Anti-Rosies!!**

**Happy birthday Mom - 16th July - in advance~!!**

**HARRY POTTER IS OUT IN INDIA ON 17TH!! YAY!!!! *is uber hyper***

**So let us read. Half-felt, but fullfelt in the end.**

--

Rosalie POV

He stared at me like some sort of a hungry bull laying eyes on the red colour of a flag for the first time, and he was going to chase it. His eyes were as wide as saucers, eyeing me gently, lost in their own course of-

How coincidental. I was wearing red. The red miniskirt and pink top fitted me very well; I would have to buy more Dolce & Gabbana later on. But maybe I shouldn't have worn the big top that low – I was beginning to reveal a lot, which might explain that significant look Emmett had given me. Truly, I did look very, very hot. My hair looked nice today, as every other day, and my butt looked sexy, framed in the bright red miniskirt. I couldn't blame Emmett for toying with it.

Emmett realized the slack of my grip and attempted to lunge (as if he could reverse imprinting) but I dug my stilettos into the ground (sorry for the ridges, Esme – ooooh! My feet look so good!) and grasped his arms again.

"Emmett, stop!" It was quite sweet that he was fighting for me, I was worth fighting over, but I didn't want him to hurt himself or others. I hugged his hand and he stopped moving, to avoid hurting me. I placed my lips on the back of his neck and he froze altogether.

"Rose," he whispered audibly. "We have lived in peace for many, many, MANY, years. I will not let this scumbag excuse of a living being replace me as the man in your heart." He growled.

"But I don't love him back! You know very well I have better taste than mangy mutts who are meddlesome fools and interrupt a happy couple's lovelife!!"

"He will do whatever it takes to be with you! And when he doesn't, he will kill himself. Now Rose, I know you, and you might not want that-"

"Who said I might not want that?? What is he to me, than just a petty heartless dog that broke my niece's beautiful heart?"

"Rose let me GET HIM!" He attempted to move, forgetting me, and his strength over powered me. I yelled as he pulled his arm forward to attack Jacob; the motion, the strength sent my crashing into the coffee tables and I skidded to a halt on the front steps, lying on my backside. It didn't hurt, not at all, but I had broken the coffee tables, and Emmett was looking at me with the most mortified expression on his face – I wanted to be really, really angry with him but I couldn't, not after knowing who he was for the past countless years. Nor after seeing that degraded glance of his eyes. He was in pain.

But it's not like I wasn't in any. Sheesh.

The tingling crunching of fragile glass echoed from beneath my fingers and the more I moved, the louder the sounds became – it was like listening to shards of crystal fall free of a ginormous structure – tinkling against each other on their trail to the south. These shards fragmented with harsh chink sounds as I felt part of my skirt feel the unfair impact of these jagged buggers.

I was really in no physical pain. Not yet. I just got to my feet tenderly and let my stiletto heels shatter more broken shards.

Fiercely, I, poker face on – only my eyes betraying emotion – frustration, stomped out of the door with dignity and walked at the calm pace into the woods.

My instinct was to find Renesmee and comfort her – it was only because the mangy mutt had it in for me that it broke her heart. Poor child – the girl I loved so much was in pain, and I was the root of it.

It wasn't too hard to find her – her heartbeat was loud and unusual enough to be heard from miles away. She lay balled up under the canopy; the overhanging awning of rock and weed hid her from unheightened senses. She was still sniffling. There were tears streaming down her face – leaving dirty black tear marks on her flawless skin. Her rosebud lips were turned down in grief and her brown eyes, wide in sorrow and despondency, were red and bloodshot – the eye sacs swollen to an ugly puffiness that made me pity the child even more. Her hair was revealing twiggy bits and an unkempt mode. I didn't like it. Her misery, her melancholy was too depressing. For a vampire with the least bit heart.

"Renesmee?"

I let my whisper carry. She had heard me when I had come out of the house. She didn't want to look at me. Though I knew Renesmee would never hate me for Jacob's change in heart, I felt completely vile. Her woe, her depression – and such an innocent face – it made me regret who I was even more.

So, risking an embarrassing stain mark on my red skirt, I sat down gently beside her and pulled her into a hug. She never protested at such things – the reason the mutt found it easy to soothe her and plant his affection onto her. She cried a bit – wailed a little more, and then she pulled herself onto my lap and wrapped her arms around my neck.

I hugged her back, my hollow chest struck by pangs of pain because I couldn't bear to see her cry. Moreover, she never fit into my arms anymore, but now, she shrunk into herself to fit into me. I stroked her hair.

"I don't love it any more than you do," I sighed mournfully into her ear. "He's horrible."

She shook her head in response. "He isn't. I just….can't believe….that the connection I thought was meant to be there just went like that. Poof. G-gone. He doesn't w-want me anymore."

"I'm sure it's not about want, because if it was, Auntie Rosie would throttle the mutt until his face turned blue."

She chuckled, not amused, at my attempt at humour. "Damn amnesia."

"No," I shook my head. "Damn fate. Damn Jacob. He caused this. He felt strongly – if he ever did – then he would have remembered you in the back of his mind."

"Rose," snuggled Renesmee, "I know you mean well, but I trust Carlisle. I believe him. There is no way he could forget me, unless he got amnesia that erased his imprint memory."

"And yet he has the power to imprint again?"

Well," Renesmee sighed, pondering. "Maybe wolves are like blank pages. Maybe, you write on them well then the message remains. All the same, erasers have the power to rub everything you've written out and let it be the blank page it used to be. Maybe imprinting is like that very page. I filled its space up, and then an eraser came and rubbed it off. Now you will fill it."

I didn't feel the hostility in her voice, the jealousy, because there wasn't any. She was just plain miserable. She couldn't hate. She couldn't hold grudges like I could. But I never, ever wanted to get between my dear Renesmee and her lover.

I was also surprised that beneath that blanket of grief and emotion, there even lay a place where she could think things out and place them in a logical matter. She was right, of course. Her theories always sounded so accurate.

For a moment, I was stumped at what to say. My own mother and grown me up to believe in a world that was always _perfect_. Nothing was out of place. If someone loved another, the two would be a couple [my people learnt from Romeo and Juliet]. If a problem surfaced, it would be solved in a trice. Never did we have supernatural poking its' nose into our business. Never, also, did we have romance woes. Divorce. Bad companionship. It was so set up. I had no experience at all in this. I had to talk off my heart and head. That's what I had to do.

And my heart _hated_ me for being such a snoot. It _always_ hated me. I _had_ to be shallow. My mother had _raised_ me to be shallow. If I wasn't shallow, I wasn't me. But maybe I could tell Renesmee a bit of what I did believe in. Something my mother need not have told me, but I could have figured for myself, having watched Vera and her son, and having read those novels that coloured the ages….

"Well," I said, mustering haughtiness in my tone. "I know that things will turn out to be better than you're expecting it to. Believe it or not, happy endings do exist."

She gazed at me with her tear streaked face. I was tearing myself up inside. What had I just said?

"Do you have a happy ending, Rosalie? Do you believe that?"

I winced. Her tone was accusatory, melancholic _and_ curious.

"Fairytales don't exist. Not even in your story."

She watched me miserably.

"Tell me your happy ending."

For a moment, I had the strangest urge to stroke her face and tell her that my emotions were far beyond the understanding of children. But I swallowed back my voice – this child had gone through so much – she had found a soul mate in the first decade of her life only, whereas for people like Edward and Carlisle and me, it had taken centuries. She was so ignorant about the world of suffering; she deserved as much good karma as she could get. Her heart had literally broken into pieces, by a man who had fallen in love with her madly, and then turned to me. Had she not gone through enough? Why couldn't I tell her?

Her eyes might have been Bella's, but their expression mirrored her father's down to the last grain. I couldn't help but melt to her charm. Stroking her hair, I cleared my throat and started talking, with an air of explaining something as complex as love to a child convinced that 2 + 2 was not entirely 4.

"I have most of what I could ever have. I told you and your mother both about my story. I have Emmett, and he is all I need for now. He is my life. He is the one I can be made to feel beautiful because of. He is the one I attain my vanity from – from the years trying to keep him by my side. He is a playful thing, he is, and he is definitely better than Royce. Oh the scum Royce was, it is a crime to compare Emmett and him. All I ever wanted in a bigger picture was a happy family. I just wanted a large, happy family, just like they did in my era. I loved imagining myself with a husband's arm around my waist, and both of us clutching a child that looked as pretty as me and had her father's wit.

"Of course, Royce spoilt that. He ruined my perception. And when I found Emmett, in his eyes I saw the family I wanted. I saw emotional love, and I saw motherly love. I was torn with how to love him – but it was love alone. And soon enough, the more we were together; the more I felt that his essence attracted me. I felt some of that motherly love flee.

"But I retained my long put-off lust for a child – to be able to conceive. I was never given the chance to have my happy family. I never got a child. And I craved that – the love, the emotions, the joy, but I never got it. And I sort of am….glad I didn't, however hard to believe. If I had had a child, it would have meant that I would have let my parental obsession rule over the lust I looked at Emmett with. It would have changed everything. But in the end, I got my happy family," I smiled wistfully. "I have a mother- and father-in-law. I have brothers- and sisters- in-law. And though I might not have gotten my dream: to have a child, I was happier than ever when you were to be born. You completed my family. You finished it. You fulfilled my dreams. Of course I got hyper then – everything Royce had taken away from me was finally reclaiming its owner, and I couldn't stop destiny for Edward's or Jacob's sake. I could only help it claim an easier path. A destiny for both Bella and me.

"So for me, it was a happier ending. It was a happy ending seeing myself surrounded by family and hope and assistance, all of whom knew what to do and how to do it. I had the best husband I could ever have wished for, and I had parents alive, and brothers and sisters. Only now," I smiled coyly. "I haven't got a happy ending. You're upset, and Jacob is after me, and Emmett's tearing himself emotionally in there. It's not happy now. But if you wait, it will all come true."

Renesmee stared into my golden eyes, mesmerized. The little teen she was – intently listening. When I stopped, I saw her eyes were glistening. She was really very beautiful: the woman she had turned into was astounding. She was no longer a child of Bella and Edward – no, she was much more than that. Where before, the two had let their child govern their struck lives, she now hardly got in their lovesick ways. She really resembled the child I had pined for in my dreams.

And maybe I had held on to her so much, that Renesmee was probably the best person, besides Emmett, to give to-the-heart analysis on me. That felt awkward, because for years I had been trying to lock up my heart, and give it only to Emmett. Yet, this sweet child had brought the unknown Rosalie from me….

And I had hurt her feelings…indirectly.

"Renesmee," I sighed. "If there's one thing I am good at, it's faith. I can trust. I can believe. I can follow. But only if I have faith. I learnt a lesson after living my mother's life – I never had true faith in Royce. He made me feel _too_ beautiful. I was living the life my mother could never live in her time. She made me live a life that wasn't etched out of _my_ hopes and dreams, but _hers_. _She_ shaped my belief. But I made a mistake believing what she told me to believe – I was never…._me_. Royce fell in love with a Rosalie neither of us know. If I had to sort it all out-" I faltered. "If there was one thing I _could_ do," my voice quivered, "to make that man regret laying his sights on me, to break free of restraints – _it was to believe in myself_. It is this belief which has allowed me to be who I _really_ want to be. I won't deny it – trusting myself was never a good decision because I'm well, pathetic at handling things. But you've got to realize-" I stared balefully at her, holding her shoulders, "you've got to realize that you are Renesmee Carlie Cullen and this is your life. Do not let Jacob rule it for you. Do not let Jacob's charm or connection or whatever to pull you in too deep. You made my mistake, Nessie," I took a harsh breath. "You made my mistake. I won't blame you, and you won't blame me. All you and I can do now is to never take things for face value. Do not take them for what they appear to be. You've got to trust an organ you've got that I don't. You, Renesmee, should listen to your heart." I put my hand on her chest, right about her thrumming heart. "And if you don't, you're going to be living a life full of regret. Make decisions – hell, stuff things up. Make all the mistakes you want. But not-" I shook her "-the mistakes you made as a result of external influence. Your life, your path. Choose it wisely. Don't make my mistake. I'm pleading, I'm on my knees."

Renesmee sniffed again, and she removed my hand from her shoulders, only to clutch them tightly and muster enough strength and self-preservation to sit up straight and smile.

"I won't," she said firmly. "Rosalie – I know about your ups and downs but you've treated me like a child so unique that no-one can replace me. I love you too, Rosalie. I won't make your mistake-" she left a hand of mine to flick away the tears now flowing relentlessly from her bloodshot eyes. "-and I've realized you're right. Jacob _has_ really governed my belief. I made an opportunity cost and threw away my options to be with Jacob. And look how's he's r-rewarded me. He's left me. I can't _believe_ I ever fell for him-" She broke off, now burying her face in her hands.

"Don't cry over spilt milk, honey." I moved her hands from her pretty face and brushed the hair out of her tear-stained cheeks. "What's done is done, and nothing you and I can do will change that."

She wiped her eyes on her tee, and tried to smile. After a few moments, her wails had retreated to non-periodic sobs, and she seemed willing to give life another try.

"You know what would cheer you up?" I asked.

"What?" she murmured.

"Shopping." I'm not sure she saw the maniacal gleam in my eyes – the one I always get when the picture of a mall crosses my mind.

Renesmee pondered, and then turned to face me. "Is it all that a stress reliever?"

I nodded frantically, quite sure that I looked exasperated and amused at the same time. I resisted an urge to snort out a god-that-is-sooo-obvious "Duh!!"

"Wait-" she held out a hand as I made to get up. "What was the commotion in the house I heard earlier?"

"Oh." My face deflated. "That was just – well – I…..I crashed into a table and my mood went down and now I'm okay."

She didn't look convinced. "Please explain to me…."

"What's done is done," I cut across curtly. "It is now that matters." I reinstated my happy face. "Let's go shopping."

"But-" Renesmee hesitated. "Rosalie?"

I paused, fearing her question – what I was trying not to think about.

"What?"

She twiddled her thumbs.

"What about Emmett?"

--

**Yes, m'dearies. What about Emmett? what is he going through? And Ethan - barging in between an affair he needs to stay well away from?**

**And what about the others?**

**We shall wait XD**

**I plan to edit all my chapters so far....yeah...gotta make up for my writing inexpertise from before.....**

**A SURPRISE: I am writing a Truth or Dare Cullen Style TWO!!!! Yes!!! I am indeed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

**Books I read since last chapter: PJO 5 [check out review on my page Shelfari: my penname is Aishwarya Swan-Cullen], Jinx - meg cabot, Airhead - meg cabot, Mediator series - meg cabot [again!] and HP 6 [gearing up for the movie, I am!]**

**So yeah. I like MY A/Ns. So long and nice....**

**Feed the dragon [me] now with nice pepperlollies, [reviews] my dearies....**

***~~*Ash*~~***

***newfoudn obsession with Mugglenet....again***


	16. 15 The Women of Our Lives

**Long time no update, so enjoy the fruits of my labour ^.^ Cool chapter, however small. Go Muse :) I'm addicted to the House of Night!**

"Lemme go slap him!"

"Stop fooling about, Renny."

"I've told you; don't call me Renny, auntie! My nickname is Nessie. And can I please go slap him?"

"No. That is final. Now get some cash."

Renesmee rolled and went to ask her dad for some money. Rosalie watched her go with an uncertainty in her heart.

"Going somewhere?" asked Bella, suddenly appearing beside Rosalie.

Rosalie nodded. "I thought some shopping would take her mind off Jacob." She turned, a pained expression tacked onto her gorgeous face and she asked, "He's still mad?"

"Very much so," Bella nodded. "I just don't know why this is going like it is."

Rosalie hugged her absent-mindedly and then asked, "You want to come with us?"

Bella shook her head fervently. "As much as I'd like to, I don't feel up to it. I think I'll go into Forks High today, to check it out. I want to see a few files of Edward. Some of his perfection should lighten my mood."

Rosalie watched Bella go, shaking her head, and in those few moments, she saw the mother Bella never got to be and was trying so hard to be now.

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I wandered through the shelves and shelves of music lined up in Port Angeles. I hated lying to Rose and Ness, but I just wanted to get out of the house. I wanted to listen to some music. I'm not saying that Clair De Lune is bad (au contraire), but I just didn't want Debussy in my head for a bit. I want to clear myself of the usual. I, Bella, wa sbreakign free for the first time in a long while.

I picked a random CD off the shelf in the "M" section. Glancing at it, I saw in vibrant writing "Time Is Tunning Out..........Muse" pasted on a sticker on the cover art. A pretty interesting song title. It was hard rock too. Just the way I like depression-cures. All of guitar.

I slammed the CD into the test player, grabbed a magazine from the nearby newsagent shelf, and slouched over a beanbag, waiting for it to play.

My eyes zipped over the article: "Five Ways to Make Him Happy in Bed." I read the intro, saw the picture of the writer and read on as the song started.

_I think I'm drowning  
Asphyxiated  
I wanna break this spell  
That you've created_

I thought about how the words described life right now. I'm totally drowning. Worse, my daughter's one the brunt of suffering. Boy, wouldn't life be different if this evil vampire crap wasn't so popular?

_You're something beautiful  
A contradiction  
I wanna play the game  
I want the friction_

I read the first paragraph about how men totally loved skimpy lingerie, and it was a masculine response to be turned on my the sight of female flesh. Underneath that, I thought about how much I missed feeling with Edward what I felt in my schooldays. That young love. Where had it gone?

_You will be the death of me  
You will be the death of me_

Bury it  
I won't let you bury it  
I won't let you smother it  
I won't let you murder it

I wouldn't really let my life, my daughter's life, my husband's life - ANY life - be ruined by the witch who'd set a spell upon us. How can I let the past go down? I can't bury what I feel. I need to use whatever I have to help my family.

_ Our time is running out  
Our time is running out  
You can't push it underground  
You can't stop it screaming out_

I continued reading the article even though the heavy singing was intoxicating, fuelling the ticking of the alarm in my head. _It's going to get worse, Bella_, I told myself. And there's nothing you can do. Your time's going, girl. You have just seconds before what _was_ will never _be_.

_I wanted freedom  
Bound and restricted  
I tried to give you up  
But I'm addicted_

Now that you know I'm trapped sense of elation  
You'd never dream of  
Breaking this fixation

You will squeeze the life out of me

Bury it  
I won't let you bury it  
I won't let you smother it  
I won't let you murder it

Our time is running out  
Our time is running out  
You can't push it underground  
You can't stop it screaming out  
How did it come to this?  
Oh

I finished reading about how masturbation (okay, WHY am I reading this?!) helps couples be content with each other in bed. Why did I need these tips? I was already expert! I slammed the magazine into the stand again, earning a furtive look from the cashier. I went back to the song.

_You will suck the life out of me_

Damn, I thought. She will. Everything will. It's already happening. My life's leaving my fingertips as I speak. I'm losing it.

She finished listening to the final chorus and ejected the CD. Putting it back in its case, she handed it to the cashier.

"You would like to buy this?"

I nodded.

"Three dollars."

I handed her a bill and took the change.

Walking home, I couldn't help but feel a sixth sense warning me of a new death. Like the death I'd died when Edward had left me. Or maybe my sixth sense spoke of my daughter.

The words of the song still rang in my head, and I couldn't clear myself of them.

_You will suck the life out of me_

_You will suck the life out of me_

_You will suck the life out of me_

_You will suck the life out of me._

I hurried on home before I'd lose it.

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He was warm, she could tell. His skin was like a warm geyser in Yellowstone, gushing warm water every now and then, searing across human skin like a soothing balm, like passion sugared and salted with experience.

She saw rather than felt the scene. His body was larger – larger than normal – and his russet skin glimmered naughtily in the dim light of the room. White sheets covered him like the god he really was. Brown and white – they contrasted so perfectly. The sheets around him made him look more exotic that ever.

She saw his bare chest first. He was on top of somebody, hugging her tight, and the sheet only covered him from face down; he was on his stomach on somebody. Her eyes noticed how the person he was on top of had such sharp and defined curves, such flawless, perfect skin, and such beauty that the white and the russet fitted each other better than blue and yellow ever could.

Her breath staggered as she saw him making frantic moves under him – twisting in the sheets like a fan on a hot summer's day, and caressing her body with more and more vigour and passion. She could feel the woman under him lick his earlobe and prompt him to moan sensually. Her pale white hand – hand whiter than snow – met his skin and she could almost hear the mist that engulfed them – fire on ice, ice on fire.

She twisted in her own bed, disturbed by the scene. He was touching her vilely. Maybe not so vilely – gently, passionately, but the moves weren't friendly. He grabbed her here, brushed her there. And then all in all, searching, his plump lips found her perfect one and they pressed together.

That wasn't all that pressed together. She could feel the burst of pent up energy that flew between the two there in that room. She could only see him grab her neck to push her closer to his mouth. She could only see his russet hand entangle itself in her perfect blonde hair, and startled, she saw exactly with how much love he and she shared intimacy, and how much lust those butterscotch eyes gave away before her hand shot up into his black mane and pulled her over him.

She screamed and sat up, instantly alerting Rosalie. Renesmee threw off the pink Dora sheets off her bed, much too childish for her growing teenage body, a body fit for the man she thought once loved him. Renesmee scrambled off the floor and threw open the bathroom door, gasping into the sink, running cold water over her shaking hands. She didn't bother throwing a robe over her scantily clad figure – a meek tank top and micro-shorts. She didn't bother hiding the showing top of her black bra cup. She didn't bother tying up her alluring hair and untangling it from the afro-like mess it was right now. And most of all, she didn't bother wiping away the tears.

Staring into the mirror, she saw her own scared face. She saw in her mind the russet face and the black hair of the man who'd been everything to her, and then she saw herself.

Scared and upset, she saw that her own eyes were hazel, and not butterscotch. She saw that her own hair was not a blonde waterfall, but a bronze-mahogany tress-set. She noticed her figure and saw herself so slim and so not sexy. She saw herself with hands with an expanse of fairly coloured skin – nothing as pale as she's conjured in her dreams.

Sighing, she felt the voice in her throat as sweet as honey, and nowhere near as gravelly and promiscuous as had been in her dream.

"Nessie?"

Freaked, Renesmee turned around to face a startled Rosalie full in the face. Rosalie stood there, fully clothed in the outfit she's worn to the mall. She's been sitting in Nessie's room watching her sleep, have a nightmare, and then fling herself out of her bed in a hurry. Her voice broke the string of confusion that had battered Renesmee head to toe.

With a broken sob and an inward scream, Renesmee stared into Rosalie's yellow eyes and realized at once who the woman Jacob was making love with had been.

And it was not herself, Renesmee.

**And because you know I love you, you shall reply.**

**Please.. Come on. Pweeeez.**

**Ash!**


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